A tunnel to take Wellington to a brighter future

Monday, 18 March 2024

Wellington’s Mt Victoria Tunnel is a major chokepoint for the city’s roads. Building a second tunnel is a priority for the new Government, and Kelvin Hastie argues it provides a transformational opportunity for the city.

Kelvin Hastie is a community advocate and ran for Mayor of Wellington at the 2022 council elections.

OPINION: Wellington is in a funk and needs to reinvent itself. I have no doubt Wellington can become one of the great destinations akin to Melbourne or Sydney: a stunning compact harbour setting, a bustling community of people passionate about the city and the nature they love.

The second Mt Victoria tunnel, as it has been aptly named, encapsulates all that is Wellington’s infrastructure deficit. The original Mt Vic tunnel built in 1931 is no longer fit for purpose, both structurally and capacity constrained, carrying nearly 40,000 vehicles every day along two narrow lanes.

It’s no longer functional, so it would be short-sighted to replicate, especially with a Government that’s aiming for long-term solutions.

A new tunnel from the existing Terrace tunnel to Kilbirnie's Wellington Rd and state highway zone intersection would be transformational for the city. It would still be possible for vehicles to enter the city via Vivian St, but those wishing to transit (bypass) to or from the airport from the north would no longer be required to traverse our inner city roads.

This change of approach would immediately become transformational for the city. Just as a small example, you could drop Vivian St to one lane creating cycleways and pedestrian boulevards. Residents and retailers could reclaim the city streets, which are now bisected by a state highway.

The economics would ensure limited disruption for the city and a solid plan would give developers the confidence they need to invest in our ailing city.

Our new Infrastructure Minister, Chris Bishop, has vowed to solve Wellington’s housing crisis, a laudable goal.

The current Government has a lot of skin in the game, as State Highway 1 is controlled by the New Zealand Transport Authority (Waka Kotahi). The implications of a new growth zone in Kilbirnie gives further weight to a future-proofed solution.

For too long as a country we have delayed major infrastructure projects in the hope no-one will notice – the Auckland Harbour Bridge is another infrastructure deficit no longer fit for purpose

For probably the first time in New Zealand we have an agreement on density in a major city as the driving factor. Wellington provides an opportunity to not only reinvent the city itself, but reinterpret how we live in cities in New Zealand. This has obvious positive implications for freight, the airport and traffic flow, but it's not a congestion project, it's a city revitalisation and transformation project.

We are good at producing tunnels; just look at the Waterview Tunnel in Auckland, completed in 2017 for $1.4 billion, including the Great North Rd interchange; and the current City Rail Link nearing completion.

An economic analysis already exists backing the longer tunnel option, one of the many reports that lie under the dust of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving filing cabinets. Just this once let’s produce a traffic link for revitalisation, as opposed to moving traffic from point A to B, the bonus being we get both.

The new Mt Victoria link falls under the Government's Roads of National Significance. It is being touted as a project of national infrastructure urgency, through the new fast-tracking category, but in the clamour to get this project underway it is worth reflecting on all the work completed on this project already.

When you are spending billions of taxpayers dollars no stone should be left unturned. This project could transform future Wellington, but if this Government doesn’t bring the community along for the ride it may break it. Let’s hope it shows true courage and leadership to finally get Wellington on the move.

It’s an opportunity just too big to miss.