CITY'S TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19727, 29 August 1927, Page 12

CITY'S TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

THE SOUTHERN HIGHWAY.

ROUTE FOR NEW OUTLET. LOOKING TO FUTURE NEEDS. TIME TO SECURE EASEMENTS. p BY OUTLOOK. Everyone will readily admit that a radical improvement in the traffic outlook <~>n the eastern side of the city is overdue. The congestion at Newmarket daily becomes worse. The opening of the waterfront road to Mission Bay and St. Heliers will effect considerable relief, but the greatest proportion of the traffic is via the Great South Road, and this traffic will increase by leaps and bounds now that the concrete pavement has been extended to Papakura. The present traffic is no criterion of what it will be within the next few years. We are still far from saturation point. It is useless adopting half measures. The proper procedure is to lay off the line for an outlet that will solve the problem for good and all, even though a complete deviation from the existing outlets is found to be necessary. Economy ol Early Provision. Admitting that such a new route will eventually have to be adopted, now is the time to secure the necessary easements or rights to take the land. It is quite probable that the completion of such an outlet may, owing to financial consider;! tions, be years hence, but every year the cost of acquiring easements will become greater, so that immediate action means economy. Mention has recently been made as to the opening of a thoroughfare from the waterfront road (now in progress) to link up with Victoria Avenue. This proposal, however, is not sufficiently far-reaching. It would only be a palliative, not a cure, for rongestion. What is wanted is a route that will avoid all present or prospective bottle necks." and, at the same time provide a road as short as possible and as level as possible. Outline ol New Highway. Such a route can be got. It is indi rated on the sketch plan by the double dotted line, while the Great South Road is shown by the double black line This route, starting from the Chief Post office, would follow the waterfront road to the point where it leaves the railway embank tnent, thence crossing the railway by an overhead bridge, it would make straight for the lower end of Orakei Road, thence to the foot of Upland Road, thence round Orakei Basin, joining up with an extension of Lucerne Road, thence cutting across the lower end of Waiatarua Road, and meeting Meadowbank Road about half-way up to St. Heliers Road From there in as direct a line as possible to the junction of Abbots Way with the Ellerslie-I'anmuie Road, thence either to Otahuhu by the recently-completed concrete road, or across the Tamaki River at Panmure snd onwards (probably by extensive deviations) to Papaid'toe or Wiri. Nearly Whole Length Level. By this means the terminals of many, at present,' dead-end " roads would be tapped, and their traffic taken direct to the city instead of by the longer existing congested routes. With the exception of the Meadowbank saddle, this route would be practically level throughout and this saddle is the lowest one in the whole ridge from Ponsonby to St. Heliers (except Kelvin Road saddle, through which such an outlet is impracticable). The length from the Chief Post Office to Otahuhu would be ten miles, of which nine miles would be level or almost level. There would be splendid scenic attractions in the way of seascapes over the first four miles. The opening of such a thoroughfare would absolutely transform the areas traversed and would enhance the attractions of the proposed Orakei Garden Suburb, as well as of the intensive subdivisions in the Tamaki and Pan mure listricts. The length by this route woul<d[ be nrac tically 'he same as by the Great Sotith Road, but all the bottle necks on the existing outlets would lie avoided ind at any places where, in future, congestion might arise, special provisions cmld now be made to obviate such ccntinpencies. ! Vaturallv. such a scheme will entail considerable expenditure; but. as above mentioned, what is now reonired is to define the route and arrange the requisite easements.