The Cross Valley Link, Lower Hutt's $100 million road to nowhere

Monday, 9 October 2017

A road linking Seaview with State Highway Two has been talked about since the 1960s. Despite dozens of reports costing millions of dollars, the Cross Valley Link (CVL) remains nothing more than a good idea. Nicholas Boyack reports why the Kaikōura Earthquake has given its backers fresh hope.

'The Cross Valley Link proposal has a long history.'

That's how a Hutt City Council report summed up the project in May 1992. It first appeared in the District Plan in 1964 and in the years since, has come and gone from various regional and city council plans.

On paper, the idea of a new road taking traffic from Seaview to SH2 seems a good one.

Seaview is one of the largest industrial areas in the region and is home to many of New Zealand's largest science companies.

**READ MORE:

* Hutt South gets three for one deal

* Hutt South could have three MPs

* Council dumps Cross Valley Link**

Throw in 30,000 cars a day from Wainuiomata, Eastbourne and Moera, and the result is often gridlock on the Petone Esplanade.

No one knows what it  will cost to build a new road that could require the purchase of extensive property, including residential homes.

In recent years the figure of $100 million has been used but until detailed designs are done and a route agreed upon, that is only a guess.

The city council is spending $1 million to investigate its feasibility but Mayor Ray Wallace concedes that without significant funding from central government, the road  is unlikely to be built.

That, according to the mayor, is where last November's big shake might be a game changer.

Wallace has long argued that the CVL is a road of national significance, deserving of government funding. It's an argument that has got little traction over the years, with other mayors in the region expressing skepticism.

Wallace said that had begun to change, as more information emerged about the likely impact of a big earthquake centred on Wellington.

'GNS is saying the Petone Esplanade could drop by three feet or more in a major earthquake. The likelihood is that the Esplanade is going to be out of action for months. If it is, where are we going to get the fuel we need to keep the region going?'

By fuel, Wallace is referring to the storage tanks in Seaview that supply the region with petrol.

Central government was now putting pressure on councils to improve their resilience to deal with a major earthquake, he said.

Without fuel the region would be crippled.  The recent cutting of the pipeline to Auckland had only reinforced how vulnerable Wellington City was to the same scenario.

In the lead up to the election, both National and Labour supported the link road.

That had further encouraged Wallace but the reality was that it was still only a concept.

Hutt City has allocated $65 million in its long-term budget but the CVL is not in its District Plan, nor  is  there a proposed route.

Council divisional manager John Gloag confirmed the council 'supports the concept' of a CVL.

It was working on a business case for the road with NZTA, which he said had three main components.

'Traffic and amenity values are valid reasons but resilience (after an earthquake) has certainly lifted its profile after the Kaikōura earthquake. Seaview is important because of the fuel.'

So if it is ever built, where would it go?

The most obvious route is Whites Lines West with a bridge over the Hutt River connecting Wakefield Street.

Utilising the existing rail corridor and using KiwiRail's existing bridge over the river is another possibility.

Wallace  thought Whites Line West was the obvious route but emphasised that no decision had yet been made.

One person enthusiastic about the CVL is long time Petone Community Board member Mason Branch, who said taking traffic off the Petone Esplanade would have many benefits for the city.

As well as safeguarding the region's fuel supply, it would allow for the development of the Esplanade. 

At the moment it was simply not worth spending the money needed to unlock its potential, he said. A new road would also take traffic off Jackson Street, which was struggling to cope with a boom in Petone retailing.

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Although big question marks continues to hang over the future of the CVL, Wallace believed it would be built.

'It is absolutely crucial we have a Cross Valley Link from a resilience point of view. Not only is it important economically for the city but in the event of a big earthquake, the Petone Esplanade will be badly damaged.'

A POTTED HISTORY OF THE CROSS VALLEY LINK

* Early 1960s: The Petone and Lower Hutt councils begin taking about a road to ease congestion on the Petone Esplanade.

* 1964: The CVL  is added to Lower Hutt's District Scheme.

* 1978: The CVL is  again included in the scheme but no concrete action is taken to build it.

* June 1989: The Lower Hutt City Council agrees to withdraw the designation for the route from its District Plan.

* May 1992:  The council receives a report by consultants Gabites Porter supporting Whites Line West/Wakefield St as the preferred route. It would cost $49.9 million, including $11.3 million to purchase property.

* Mid 1990s:  The CVL is removed from the District Plan.

* 2010: The Triangle Study concludes that the CVL has a low cost/benefit ratio.

 * March 2011: The council acknowledges the CVL will never be built and agrees to spend $20 million upgrading the Petone Esplanade.

*  December 2014: The Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Fran Wilde said that with 30,000 cars a day using the Petone Esplanade, it is time to take a fresh look at the CVL.

* May 2015:  Mayor Ray Wallace declares his support for the CVL and said it could built within five years.

* September 2017: The CVL became part of the election lolly scramble with both Labour declaring support.