Government investigates 4km tunnel under Wellington

Monday, 15 April 2024

The Government is investigating a mega tunnel underneath Wellington from The Terrace to Kilbirnie. Transport Minister Simeon Brown has asked the New Zealand Transport Agency to look into the tunnel's technical feasibility, cost and financing options.

The Government is asking NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to investigate a Long Tunnel option for Stage Highway 1 in Wellington.

The twin two-lane 4km tunnels would run from north of the Terrace to Wellington Road near the suburb of Kilbirnie.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the tunnel option strongly aligns with the government's priorities in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS).

Brown told Morning Report the transport agency presented a compelling case for why the option should put the option back on the table.

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'The Long Tunnel option has the potential to deliver up to 15-minute travel time savings between the region and Wellington airport, compared to around 2-3 minutes for the current parallel or diagonal tunnel proposals at Mt Victoria and the Basin,' Brown said.

'Effectively prior to going into the Terrace tunnel, there'd be a new tunnel it'd be two two-lane tunnels. It would go all the way under Wellington, under Mt Vic tunnel and then come out at Wellington Road near the airport,' he told Morning Report.

Whether there needed to be an exit half way through, potentially near the Basin, would also be looked into, he said.

'The option would also see better urban amenity through greater reallocation of surface level road space to active modes and public transport in the CBD and greater opportunities for housing intensification. Enhanced regional connectivity to the airport and hospital would also be achieved with reduced city and state highway congestion,' Brown said.

The suggestion would see twin two-lane 4km tunnels run from north of the Terrace to Wellington Rd, near the suburb of Kilbirnie

'The option would also mean less construction disruption for local traffic as the Long Tunnel option could be built with less disruption to the city centre and less impact on public and private properties required for other options.'

Waka Kotahi has been asked to consider and provide advice on the technical feasibility, cost, and funding and financing options for the proposal.

The investigation work would be completed by the middle of the year and the government would then make decisions, Brown said.

Planning of the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project continued, he said.