Board wants rid of interchange
A grand plan to remove the Dominion Rd and New North Rd interchange is in the works.
The Albert Eden Local Board has asked Auckland Transport to investigate the possibility of removing the interchange that was built in the late 1960s in anticipation of the Dominion Rd motorway eventuated.
The interchange consists of a flyover bridge linking Dominion Rd with New North Rd, the New North Rd underpass, and two ramps connecting the two roads.
‘‘It’s over-the-top and redundant,’’ board member Graeme Easte says. ‘‘It’s very unpleasant for pedestrians and cyclists.’’
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Easte wants to see the flyover and ramps demolished and the New North Rd underpass filled in and levelled which would allow it to meet with Dominion Rd.
A standard intersection could then be constructed.
Easte estimates the project could cost $15 million or $20 million and be completed in just a few months. About 2 hectares of land would be freed, he says.
Some could be kept as green space and some sold, Easte says.
‘‘The value of the land exceeds the costs of the project so it could be one of the rare projects that pays for itself,’’ he says.
It would also allow for the Porters Ave rail level crossing to be closed without too much disruption, Easte says.
The crossing has been identified as needing to be grade separated.
‘‘There will positives and negatives but it’s about finding a balance.’’
The idea of removing the interchange has been floated in the past without success.
Auckland Transport will investigate options and report back to the board.