Second Harbour Crossing, Auckland

rdf:langString Second Harbour Crossing, Auckland

rdf:langString Second Harbour Crossing is the name given to the proposed second transport link across the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. The second link would supplement the Auckland Harbour Bridge which is nearly at capacity and also provide more redundancy and public transport linkages between the Auckland city centre and the North Shore. It is sometimes also called the Third Harbour Crossing, as there is already an Upper Harbour Bridge (or Greenhithe Bridge). More recently, it is named Additional Waitematā Harbour Crossing (AWHC) in planning documents. Proposals were discussed soon after the Auckland Harbour Bridge was first built, which quickly reached capacity before being widened. By 2008, the proposed crossing was narrowed down from around 160 alignment options to a multi-tunnel link somewhat east of the existing bridge. However, the project was at least a decade away from funding as of the late 2000s. Once started, the project would likely take between 5 and 15 years to complete, according to the NZ Transport Agency. In late 2009, the National government declared it a priority in the new 20-year infrastructure plan. In June 2013, prime minister John Key announced a new Harbour Tunnel to be completed by 2025-2030 and the alignment decided by December 2013.