Public, industry await Waterview opening

Tens of thousands of Aucklanders are getting the chance to bike and walk through the city's new Waterview tunnels.

Three sold-out open days are being held over the next three days, before the tunnels are opened to motorists early next month.

The 2.4km twin tunnel system is the largest and most challenging roading project ever completed in New Zealand.

NZTA Auckland highways manager Brett Gliddon says the project has involved in the community as much as possible, and the open days are an important part of that.

"It's just really nice to think that people want to come and see what the 11,500 workers have achieved," he said. "It's really nice for the workers that people want to come and have a look at it and come see their handiwork."

"It's more than just about a road, it's about all those community facilities and that's what we do on all our projects now."

"We're really proud of what we've achieved."

The tunnels will connect the Southwestern and Northwestern Motorways, and provide a direct connection between the airport and CBD.

The country's largest road freight organisation, National Road Carriers, said the tunnel is an important step in the continuing development of Auckland's road transport network.

"We welcome the opening of the tunnels, the fruition of the western ring route, which the NRC has been advocating for, for 30 years," said National Road Carriers chief executive David Aitken.

Aitken said NRC don't expect the tunnels to put an end to all the city's congestion problems, "but it reinforces the importance of maintaining the momentum to complete other missing links in the motorway network."