Tunnel motorists feel sting

Speeding in Waterview tunnel cost commuters nearly $1 million in just six weeks.

Four speed cameras at each end of the new Auckland tunnel went live on July 21, three weeks after it opened to drivers.

In the six weeks since, police issued 9756 speed tickets from a total 1,520,767 vehicle trips through the tunnel, figures release dunder the Official Information Act show.

That equates to six in every 1000 vehicles going through the tunnel incurring an infringement notice.

The total value of the tickets was $948,220.

A total of 36 cameras operate in and around the tunnel, collecting data and supporting police operations.

However, they had not all been calibrated so could not be used for enforcement until such time as there was legislation and policy in place, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) system design manager Brett Gliddon said.

Last week, NZTA released data that showed the Waterview tunnel had on average one traffic incident a day in its first three months of operation.

From 96 documented incidents, three-quarters were recorded as either breakdowns or a vehicle stopping in the tunnel.

An average 60,000 vehicles use the tunnel daily.

Time savings of about 20 minutes have been reported for the journey between the CBD and Auckland International Airport.

The $1.4 billion Waterview Connection is part of the Western Ring Route, one of the Government’s seven Roads Of National Significance.

It provides a link between State Highway 16 and SH2.