Focus on State Highway 20 Manukau Harbour Crossing

Auckland City Transport Committee has received an updated presentation from Transit NZ on progress with their State Highway 20 (SH20) Manukau Harbour Crossing. Five options have been examined as Transit NZ work towards identifying a preferred choice.

The options were: additional lanes on the existing bridge motorway bridge duplication next to the existing bridge new bridge crossing to the west new bridge crossing to the east an alternative lower-level eastern crossing.

The fifth option was supported by local community boards because it seemed to provide better local connections between the Onehunga and Mangere communities while still providing increased capacity for regional traffic. Supporters of this option also pointed to greater community benefits and the inclusion of future public transport developments.

Transit expressed concerns with the fifth option saying that it would cost more and have greater environmental impacts and that even an upgrade of the bridge would not cope with traffic demands.

Councillor Greg McKeown, Auckland City’s Transport Committee chairperson, says that building additional transport capacity across the harbour seems inevitable. “The SH20 South-Western Corridor is a strategic link for the region from Manukau in the south, across the isthmus, to the North Western motorway. We are also upgrading Neilson St to improve the connection between the SH1 and SEART and the airport. Both corridors are important for moving people and freight.

“We also want to ensure that transport investments are compatible with our Building Stronger Communities strategies, including the provision of integrated passenger transport, support for the development of the Onehunga town centre, and employment and economic growth in the area spanning to Penrose.”

“These are major issues for Auckland City. It is important that the current Manukau Harbour Bridge does not become a bottleneck in the future. However, we are also greatly concerned about impacts on the local roading system and communities. We are encouraged by what seems to be greater recognition by everyone of the need for quality urban design around these projects, and have encouraged Transit to present its preferred option in as much detail as possible so that the public, and later the Council, can make a better assessment of both the improvements and the impacts,” said Councillor McKeown.

The five options will be presented to the public for consultation. The preferred option from Transit is the duplication next to the existing bridge.

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