Waterview: Why are we waiting?
Motorists deserve to know full reasons for tunnel delay, says former transport boss
The delayed opening of Auckland’s $1.4 billion Waterview tunnel is costing motorists millions of dollars a month in lost time, says former transport director Gary Taylor.
Taylor is unimpressed with the New Zealand Transport Agency, say- ing motorists have put up with years of delays with the widening of the northwestern motorway as part of the tunnel project and deserve to know what is going on.
“Speaking as an Auckland commuter who goes to the airport regularly from the west, it [the tunnel] was promised to be opened early this year, it was delayed until April.
“We are now at the end of April,” said Taylor, who chairs the Environmental Defence Society and is a former director of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority.
Taylor said nobody would argue safety should be compromised but the lack of an explanation made him suspicious.
“The delay is costing I would think millions in lost time in each month that goes by and Auckland commuters are bearing those costs unnecessarily,” Taylor said.
NZTA Auckland highways manager Brett Gliddon said the problem causing delays was an intermittent fault in the software for the jet fan and water extraction pump system which are part of the deluge system.
“Changes are being made to the software to remedy this, and parts of some valves are being replaced.”
Gliddon said NZTA denied suggestions that the ventilation system inside the tunnel is inadequate.
“The transport agency and WellConnected Alliance is working to open the Waterview Tunnel as soon as possible and will not compromise on safety and reliability,” he said.
“We are working towards opening the tunnel within the next two months,” Gliddon said.
He said any extra costs would be shared between the NZTA and the other parties in the Well-Connected Alliance.
On February 28, the NZTA told the Herald the “Waterview tunnel is on track to open in April 2017”, saying there were several logistical and safety issues to be worked through.
On March 24, the NZTA said the opening had been delayed up to three months because of testing and commissioning of complex systems to ensure safe operation of the tunnel.