The slow pace of decision-making over the long-promised new East-West Road is why Auckland’s infrastructure is failing to keep pace with the city’s growth says the Auckland Business Forum.
According to the Forum the two agencies co-ordinating the project, NZTA and Auckland Transport, are still arguing over the scope of it even through respective Boards have signed off at a high level.
It also says critical issues raised by stakeholders including the Forum are being ignored.
The forum says the East-West Connection on the north side of Mangere Inlet between SH1 at Mt Wellington and SH20 at Onehunga proposed in the 1960s was part of the Auckland strategic road network needed by 1990.
Forum chairperson Michael Barnett says at the current rate of progress Auckland will have 180,000 more people, road freight volumes will double, and gridlock will be end-to-end throughout the working day before construction begins.
“It is bad enough that it took from 2007 to 2013 for warnings about growing congestion at both ends of the route to be taking seriously,” says Barnett.
“Then Prime Minister John Key announced that the project would be accelerated.
Those warnings included that Auckland’s growth justified a new road being in place by 2020.
In 2014, Gerry Brownlee provided a written assurance that as soon as there was greater certainty over the project’s scope and cost “decisions about financial assistance to support construction will be provided.”
More than a year on there is still no satisfactory scope.
Some months ago a preferred route concept acceptable to the Forum and other stakeholders was announced.
However, decisions are awaited on an important detail like the absence of an SH1 connection for northbound traffic and ensuring it is fit for purpose with the rest of the network.
“We’re 90% of the way there with the planning for this project – don’t spoil it by getting the last 10% wrong. As we have repeatedly said a partial solution will not be acceptable,” say Barnett.
“Given the Prime Minister’s assurance the project would be part of the Auckland Accelerated projects package, and funding once the scope was agreed, we should be close to starting construction.”
“It is clearly not good enough for a City struggling to keep ahead of the growth curve and be a progressive city that New Zealanders can be proud of,” says Barnett.
