BRIDGE BEFORE TUNNEL

Evening Star, Issue 25894, 11 September 1946, Page 4

BRIDGE BEFORE TUNNEL

AUCKLAND HARBOUR PROJEGT ROYAL COMMISSION’S FINDINGS (Special.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. That a bridge across Auckland Harbour should be an accomplished fact in 10 or, at most 15 years’ time is the principal recommendation of the Royal Commission on the, Auckland transharbour facilities, whose report was tabled in the House yesterday. The commission considers that only the Government can undertake such a- project, and recommends that the bridge should extend from land to be reclaimed at the western end of St. Mary’s Bay boat harbour, some distance up harbour from the main wharves, to Stokes Point, Northcote, on the other side of the harbour. The estimated cost of the bridge and its approaches at present prices is given as £3,000,000, but if construction is deferred for five to 10 years, the*commission considers that it should not exceed £2,400,000. The commission does not recommend a tunnel because of the cost. The view is expressed that the Government would be unwise to make an immediate start on the construction of the bridge or its approaches, but that there are sound reasons for making an early start in the necessary investigations and studies. Increasing traffic volume would warrant the starting of actual construction in five years if economic conditions were favourable, or at most 10 years. The bridge would. take five years to build. If it was started in 1951, the bridge could be opened in 1956 as a paying proposition from the outset.

The commission has proposed that the whole capital cost should be provided by the Government and recovered with interest from toll revenue, except for £500,000, which should be interestfree for 20 years. It is pointed out that the remission of interest on this sum is equivalent to a free grant by the Government of £600,000, if the rate of interest is taken as 4 per cent., or £400,000 if taken as.,f3 per cent. The bridge suggested would be 4.094 ft long, and, with the approaches, 4,783 ft. The Minister of Works, Mr Semple, said that the Government had not yet been able to give more than preliminary consideration to the report, and in any event the Government felt that no decision should be made until the public affected had had an opportunity of considering the recommendations and the financial consequences. Steps had been taken by Gazette notice to prevent inflation of the values of the land that would be required for the Various local and central Governmental works if the bridge were proceeded with-.