TRAFFIC OUTLETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 590, 16 February 1929, Page 8

TRAFFIC OUTLETS

Sir,— The ever-inareasing congestion of traffic on the city streets is causing the City Council to look for new outlets, and now that the railway deviation via Tamaki is nearing completion, the time seems opportune to call attention to what appears to be a solution of the problem so far as concerns the southern and western-bound traffic. When the deviation is put into commission, the great bulk of the railway traffic will be transferred from the present double track, and with the construction of the Morningside deviation there will only be left the local traffic between Auckland and Westfield on the present tracks. This traffic could easily be carried through the old single track Parnell tunnel, and the present double track and tunnel be converted to a concrete roadway, w*hich would give an admirable outlet for all southern and west-ern-bound motor traffic from the lower part of the city into Newmarket, | avoiding the steep pull up Symonds i Street or Parnell, affording an easy | grade and quick transit from the city.

There does not appear to be any engineering difficulty which cannot be overcome, and it should be within the bounds of “practical politics” for the City Council and the Railway Department to come to satisfactory terms. Any difficulty in regard to the northern rail traffic will disappear when the Morningside deviation is constructed, and in the meantime could, no doubt, be overcome by an overhead bridge throwing the traffic on to the eastern side of the road, and on to the tracks through the old tunnel, in a similar manner as at present. Such a road as I suggest, commencing at or near the entrance to the new railway station, or even as far back as the crossing near the old station, and connecting with the Manukau Road near the old Junction Hotel, would relieve the congested traffic in Queen Street, Symonds Street and other streets, and relieve the Grafton Bridge, by deviating all south and west-bound traffic from the lower part of the city. A. ~L. FERNETHOUGH.