Rush hour this morning did not bring the congestion expected at Auckland’s newly opened Waterview tunnels.
Traffic flowed freely in both directions through each of the three-lane twin tunnels today, bringing praise from the NZ Transport Agency.
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry even tweeted from inside them saying the new motorway link saved 10 minutes on her commute to the airport.
The uneventful start to the working week came despite concerns traffic would be heavy with the possibility of snarls because motorists were unfamiliar with the new layout of the $1.4 billion project.
The NZTA had earlier warned motorists to be prepared for heavy traffic there.
The first vehicle travelled through the link between the Northwestern and Southwestern motorways at 12.47am on Sunday.
Traffic was reportedly heavy by about 4pm on Sunday as people drove through for a look, a breakdown adding to the slow trip.
The NZTA did not broadcast the opening day and time, still saying late Friday the opening was “early July” because of congestion and resulting safety fears.
“In the past when new highway infrastructure has been opened, such as the Northern Gateway Toll Road, there have been large numbers of people wanting to use the new route. This created long queues of people waiting on the side of the motorway which became a safety issue,” the agency said on Friday.
It released CCTV footage showing the first cars entering the northbound tunnel on Sunday morning, travelling from Owairaka to Waterview, accompanied by three police cars.
A settling-in period is expected while people work out their journeys using the new tunnels, NZTA Auckland highway manager Brett Gliddon says.
Tunnel construction started in January 2012 and it was due to open in April, but the NZTA says the opening was delayed until now to ensure all tunnel safety systems were ready.
The tunnel is the final link in the 48km Western Ring Route, designed to bypass the Auckland Harbour Bridge and reduce inner-city traffic.
