Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared war on the government's plan for a second Waitematā Harbour crossing, calling the proposal to build near the existing bridge "a bridge of fools" that would worsen traffic bottlenecks rather than solve them.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop announced the government intends to reveal its preferred route and construction method by mid-year. The proposal involves building either a bridge or tunnel positioned near the existing 67-year-old bridge, which has exceeded its original design capacity and costs over $25 million annually to maintain.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Brown is having none of it. He argues that placing another crossing adjacent to the existing structure would "make no sense at all" because it fails to address the fundamental problem: traffic bottlenecks on both sides of the motorway.
"Adding another crossing in the same location just moves the congestion from the middle of the harbour to the ends," Brown said, dismissing the proposal as fundamentally flawed urban planning. He referenced lessons from the City Rail Link project, suggesting similar costly planning mistakes could occur.
The mayor's preferred alternative is building the crossing over Meola Reef, a partially submerged rocky formation extending into the harbour. This route, Brown argues, would better distribute traffic and provide more options for connecting to Auckland's road network. However, Minister Bishop stated this option is "not currently on the table."
The dispute reflects deeper tensions between Auckland's local government and over infrastructure planning. insists the council must have a say in the final decision, citing the recently signed City Deal, which requires coordination between local and central government on major infrastructure.
