Vector digs into busy street again

Cable ordered from Korea didn't arrive in time to be installed as part of January's work in Symonds St. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Auckland bus passengers are enduring more disruption on busy Symonds St because of a third set of roadworks involving power company Vector in just over a year.

The latest works have forced changes to several bus routes including those of the Link service between Ponsonby and Newmarket and the free City Circuit, which has had its running times extended from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes.

The work has closed Auckland City's new $43 million busway between Britomart and Newmarket has had its buses-only lane on the eastern side of Symonds St closed in the block between Wellesley St and Airedale St.

Vector took advantage of the city council's construction of the busway to lay ducting for a 110,000-volt power cable under much of Symonds St last year, in a project to reinforce electricity supply between its Quay St and Liverpool St substations.

But it did not initially believe it needed to complete the project for several more years, so left the section south of Wellesley St.

But the company's external communications manager, Philippa White, said yesterday "further analysis" had since shown the project needed to be brought forward.

An agreement was then reached with Auckland City to install ducts for the Wellesley-Airedale sector in January this year, while many Aucklanders were on holiday, in the hope of minimising extra disruption.

But Ms White said that although heavy-duty cable to run through the ducts was ordered from Korea as soon as it became apparent that the project needed to be brought forward, it was not available in time to be installed in January.

That has meant digging up parts of Symonds St for a third time, to provide bays through which to pull and join cable sections to complete the reinforced power link, a task expected to continue until early next month.

Ms White was unable to give details of the the reasons for bringing forward the project, as planning officials were unavailable yesterday.

Even so, other agencies are showing a tolerant attitude towards the extra disruption, because of concern about the fragility of Auckland electricity supply since the extended power blackouts of 1998.

Heart of the City business association chief executive Alex Swney said the impact of the work on the City Circuit bus service, which his organisation subsidises to keep rides free of charge, was particularly severe.

The service's tight circuit meant it needed to keep its 10-minute frequency to remain effective.

But he accepted that reinforcing the business district's power supply was paramount.

City council media manager Glyn Jones said that despite the disruption to bus services, general traffic was flowing better than expected, and the council was monitoring the site to adjust traffic signals if needed.

Auckland Regional Transport Authority communications manager Sharon Hunter said the agency had to accept a balance between traffic considerations and critical utility works.

The disruption means the Link buses are having to use Grafton Rd again to reach Newmarket, meaning Grafton Bridge remains under-used in its buses-only mode during daylight hours, further aggravating frustrated car drivers.