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    • Mount Victoria Tunnel: Government makes decision, Wellington gets two new tunnels
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    Mount Victoria Tunnel: Government makes decision, Wellington gets two new tunnels

    Pabio Posted on

    “The option approved by the (NZ Transport Agency) board includes a second Mt Victoria Tunnel which will run parallel to the existing tunnel, a double terrace tunnel and improvements to the Basin Reserve which will reduce journey times and improve reliability for commuters on the North-South Bus Corridor.

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown pictured with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Mark Mitchell
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown pictured with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Mark Mitchell

    “These improvements will result in significant travel time savings during peak times, reducing journey times from the northern suburbs to the CBD, hospital and airport by around 10 minutes.”

    Brown said commuters traveling on the number one bus between Island Bay and the train station were expected to save nine minutes during the morning rush hour, while those on the number two bus between Miramar and the CBD would notice a saving of 11 minutes on their journeys.

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    The government had another option on the table to replace the Mount Vic tunnel in Wellington – an underground mega-tunnel running from Terrace to Kilbirnie – which Prime Minister Christoper Luxon described in September as “a really attractive option”.

    Brown said today that after reviewing the options, he was confident the chosen option “would significantly reduce congestion and provide more efficient and reliable access as we continue to rebuild the economy.”

    Finance Minister and National List MP for Ōhāriu Nicola Willis said Wellingtonians had been desperate to upgrade their infrastructure for years.

    “These combined investments in our transport network will help reduce congestion and support economic growth with peak travel time savings of 10 minutes between the Wellington region and the CBD, hospital and airport.

    “The inclusion of a double terrace tunnel parallel to the existing one will help alleviate the frustrations caused by traffic jams when traveling south and enable faster and safer transport of people and goods.”

    The transport project includes:

    • A second 0.7 km Mount Victoria Tunnel parallel to the existing tunnel.
    • A double terrace tunnel of 0.5 km parallel to the existing tunnel with connections.
    • Grade separation between State Highway 1 and local roads through the Basin Reserve upgrade. This will be achieved through an extension of the Arras Tunnel and the relocation of westbound SH1 traffic to the north side of the Basin Reserve. Local traffic, including public transport, will pass through SH1 on the west side of the Basin Reserve.
    • Wider network improvements to maximize benefits along the SH1 corridor through Wellington.
    • The SH1 Wellington improvements will result in reduced traffic on local city streets, supporting Wellington’s north-south, east-west and Harbor Quays bus corridors, as outlined in the Government Transport Policy Statement land 2024.

    The road improvements will now be the subject of an investment case which will be submitted to the NZTA board mid next year.

    Julia Gabel is a political journalist based in Wellington. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has recently focused on data journalism.

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