Additional Waitematā Harbour crossing

The NZ Government has proposed a second Auckland harbour crossing as part of the Waitematā Harbour Connections program.

The scope of the project includes: 

• Construction of two three-lane road tunnels, fix to six kilometres in length.
• Construction of 6.3 kilometres of new separated bus lanes on the Northern Busway between Akoranga and the city centre.
• Reallocation of space on the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge for the northern busway.
• Walking and cycling paths from Westhaven to Constellation including the re-allocation of one of the lanes on the Auckland Harbour Bridge to cycling, with further advice sought on an elevated walking platform above the cycle lanes.
• The raising of State Highway 1 between the existing harbour bridge and Akoranga to protect against increasing flooding and rising sea levels, potentially using tunnelled material.
• Securing the land for the interconnection points south of the bridge, including to maximise use of the City Rail Link and the much needed North Western busway.

The twin road tunnels have phasing options, including whether to build both tunnels once or separately.

A third tunnel system - a separate new 21km light rail tunnel - is also part of the Waitematā Harbour Connections program. It will link to the existing Auckland Light Rail corridor, and goes from Wynyard (east of the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge) to Albany, with stations at Belmont, Takapuna, Smales Farm, Glenfield, North Harbour and Albany West. Construction would not be expected to begin until after at least the first of the two road tunnels is completed.