Study for new bridge

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33251, 14 June 1973, Page 2

Study for new bridge

».VZ Press Association) ' AUCKLAND, June 13. | i Test drilling of the seabed around the Meola reef, off the suburb of ’ Westmere, is to start ? within the next two s weeks, as part of a ? feasibility study for a 5 second Auckland harbour bridge. The bridge authority be- ? lieves that by 1980 traffic on - the present eight-lane bridge t will have reached “choking ? capacity.” . The authority gave perimission on March 14 for a

report to be prepared on the feasibility of a harbour crossing between Meola Creek and Kauri Point. The London-based firm of Freeman, Fox and Partners, [estimates the study will take isix months and cost $42,500. The New Zealand firms making the investigations will be Murray, North and Partners, and Tonkin and Taylor. Freeman, Fox and Partners will study asoects of superstructure, while Murray, North and Partners will prepare plans for new reading and approaches. The genera! manager of the Harbour Bridge Authority (Mr O. H. Brannigan) said today that the Government’s,

[intention to abolish the toll [system on the Auckland Harbour Bridge could cause (problems in raising the estimated s76m needed for the new bridge. More than 163 million vehicles have now crossed the present harbour bridge since it opened in 1959. On average, 60,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day. Traffic is increasing 10 per cent a year. In traffic flow the bridge is fourteenth of the 109 major toll bridees in the world. Reflecting the growth in traffic flow. 5« 650 vehicles crossed f he h’-idoe ''pstenduv. compared with 18.591 for. the corresponding day in 1963. I