Auckland Harbour Bridge maintenance costs nearly double because of paint job

The cost of repair and maintenance of Auckland Harbour Bridge nearly doubled to $22.4 million in the year to June. Photo / Michael Craig

By Lucy Xia of RNZ

The cost of repair and maintenance of the Auckland Harbour Bridge nearly doubled to $22.4 million in the year to June, as the bridge’s original paint coating reaches the end of its designed life, requiring a full repaint.

The bridge officially opened in May 1959, with “clip-on” lanes added and completed in 1969.

More than 160,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily and 62 fulltime staff are employed for work related to the bridge’s maintenance.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) figures released under the Official Information Act showed that the amount spent on the bridge increased from $12.2m in the 2023/2024 financial year, to $22.4m in the 2024/2025 financial year.

NZTA said the increase in spending was because of the Truss Bridge Refurbishment Project, which started in 2024/25.

It said the project involved the original paint being stripped to the bare steel and the application of a new paint coating.

“Note that the previous AHB maintenance strategy was to maximise the life of the original coatings by undertaking spot repairs and over-coating as required.

“We are now at the end of the paint coating’s design life, which is why the Truss Bridge Refurbishment Project is required,” it said.

NZTA said there had been an increase in cost for the design and management of this project, which was usual when starting a major project.

Over the next five years, it expected funding for the bridge would remain at a similar level to the 2024/25 financial year or slightly more, because of the refurbishment project and coating renewals.

Over recent years, there had been continued debate over the plan for a second Waitematā Harbour crossing.

Before the 2023 elections, Labour announced a plan to build two road tunnels and one light rail tunnel across the harbour – estimated to cost up to $45 billion.

In March, Minister of Transport Chris Bishop put out appeals for international input on a second harbour crossing.

He said he expected to announce a preferred option in mid-2026.

In September, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown revealed his proposal for a second crossing – a bridge stretching from Meola Reef to North Shore’s Kauri Point – as a cheaper alternative.

- RNZ

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