Second Auckland harbour crossing must be bridge not tunnel, councillors told
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
A transport lobby group has blasted “secretive” planning by NZTA for a harbour crossing in Auckland, urging councillors to advocate for public transport and cycling lanes.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop is expected to announce the Government’s preferred option, either a tunnel or a bridge, based on NZTA advice within coming months.
Greater Auckland’s Patrick Reynolds and Connor Sharp pitched an idea for a 12-lane bridge system at the council’s Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee on Tuesday, outlining several advantages it would have over a tunnel.
It would include four motorway lanes, and two “local traffic” and bus lanes each way, for a total of 12 vehicle lanes as well as lanes for bikes and pedestrians.
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The proposal would include a new six lane bridge that would run from a breakwater at Westhaven Marina and connect with Northcote Point next to the existing Harbour Bridge.
Sharp said the project would cost $4 billion to $6b whereas a tunnel might cost $15b or $20b.
Reynolds, a former director of NZTA, told The Post he was expecting the transport agency would be imminently recommending a six-lane tunnel with no public transport or cycle lanes.
In his presentation, he said Greater Auckland’s proposal for a bridge would be a “mega project” with a “light touch”.
“An assumption that has always dogged NZTA is that a bridge can’t be done because it’s too much of an intervention in the harbour,” he said.
“This is an assumption that needs to be tested with the public. A beautiful magnificent bridge is a possibility.
“The proposed two road tunnels from NZTA is repeating the same thing we have done before, which is only to cater to road traffic,” Reynolds said.
North Shore Councillor Richard Hills said: “If the rumours are true, it’s going to be [from NZTA] a bunch of lanes and no further modes.”
Reynolds said that “from what I’ve seen”, NZTA envisaged “enormous interchanges on the shore that will be very invasive”.
Sharp said the planning process so far had been “secretive”, “top down” and “left a lot to be desired”.
The Post has asked NZTA for the outcome of the Treasury’s “Gateway Review” for the Waitematā Harbour Connections project, but was refused under official information rules.
The transport agency would only release a summary, saying: “The review team found that successful delivery appears feasible and significant work has been completed to present a compelling case for two options.
“However, there are issues that require attention and resolution in relation to clarity of the underlying strategic drivers, testing evolving market conditions and governance arrangements for the next phase.”
Reynolds said attempting to build a tunnel would be “fanciful”.
“Truck load after truck load” of material would have to be removed causing “a big disruption to the road networks for a decade or more”, as well as “a lot of diesel”.
And Reynolds said the existing Harbour Bridge was facing “very serious renewal that will probably take lanes offline”. It was a “single point of failure”, he said.
Reynolds said that when he was a director of NZTA, he was assured that with maintenance the “effective life of the bridge is infinite”.
A new crossing would enable that to happen.
The “clip on” lanes on the bridge could be taken off and rebuilt while still maintaining capacity, he said.
Reynolds said current capacity was 30,000 people an hour, where capacity with a new 12-lane bridge system would be 75,000 people an hour.
Sharp said there was no reason a bridge, like Greater Auckland was suggesting, couldn’t be built within a decade, but a tunnel might take 20 years or longer.
Councillor John Watson asked committee chairperson Andy Baker if NZTA would be holding a workshop with councillors prior to any decision.
Baker said “they haven’t given us the exact date, but they have advised and confirmed this morning that, we will be having a workshop prior to any announcement, in line with our city deal”.
Asked Watson: “To let us know what they’re announcing or…?”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Baker.