Transit may ditch Mt Albert interchange plan

Controversial motorway interchange plans for Mt Albert in Auckland appear likely to be dropped if Transit NZ puts much of its "Waterview Connection" project underground.

A deep-bore tunnel, one of three underground options for the $1 billion-plus project, would make it difficult for an interchange to be built through a reserve half-way along a 5km motorway extension between New Windsor and Waterview.

Although the interchange from Great North Rd is opposed by local residents and users of Phyllis St Reserve, particularly the 107-year-old Metro Football Club, Auckland City Council staff favour it as a way of funnelling traffic off local streets and into the motorway system.

Transit regional manager Peter Spies refused yesterday to rule out the interchange's survival if a new round of geotechnical investigations indicates a preference for a bore tunnel over more disruptive "cut-and-cover" methods of driving the motorway through Mt Albert.

That was despite a Transit consultant's written advice to a local resident that "there would be no intermediate interchange at Great North Rd with the driven [bore] tunnel option".

Mr Spies acknowledged that the greater depth of a bore tunnel than cut-and-cover options might make it technically harder and more costly to run a central interchange into it.

He added that it was "pretty difficult to say yes there will be an interchange or no there won't be".

But Auckland City transport strategy group manager Allen Bufton said he considered it unlikely a bore tunnel could accommodate an interchange because of its depth.

Transit was initially considering only a cut-and-cover tunnel for 1.2km under New North Rd between Alan Wood Reserve and Phyllis St and for a shorter part of Waterview Straight.

That would have required a bridge over Oakley Creek near Phyllis St and the removal of dozens of houses.

But the highways agency has delayed land notification applications until next year while it widens its consideration of tunnelling options.

That followed community opposition and a growing appreciation of the difficulties of cutting through a volcanic lava flow east of the creek.

Mr Bufton said the council had favoured an interchange from Great North Rd over an earlier suggestion by Transit that one be built further south around Trent St, near New North Rd.

That had threatened to draw heavy traffic through the Avondale shopping centre from Rosebank Peninsula and other destinations.

He acknowledged concern that the lack of any interchange would leave the council with local traffic issues, but said it would work with Transit to find the best solution.

Bill McKay of the Northwestern Community Association said the motorway would have to re-emerge a considerable distance back from its Waterview connection with the Northwestern Motorway, no matter which tunnelling option was chosen.

That meant residents would face pollution from large volumes of extra passing vehicles, regardless of how much local traffic may be drawn into the motorway, and two layers of ramps would have to be constructed over the Waterview end of Great North Rd.

Eden-Albert Community Board member Phil Chase said it would look far worse than Spaghetti Junction and he was also concerned Transit was still considering an open motorway along a green belt through Owairaka.

That would create a "Berlin Wall" between the Owairaka and New Windsor communities, he said.

Metro chairman Wilson Irons said the club accepted the motorway had to be built, but would prefer not to have an interchange through its playing grounds in Phyllis St Reserve.

Mr Bufton said the club's fear was misconceived, as the council was working to ensure the community would be left with more open spaces than were now available.