New Scheme for Traffic Outlet

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 740, 13 August 1929, Page 14

New Scheme for Traffic Outlet

SECURING EASIER GRADE

LOCAL ARCHITECTS PLAN

An alternative to the propoßals re. cently advanced by the Town Phaning Association. to provide a tame artery from the city through pm and Newmarket. and thus 3m easier grades. has been drawn up inMr. A. L. Ferneyhough, arehitem, of Auckland. The route suggested starts at Break. \vater Road. and follows the exiting railway parallel with Beach Road um it continues on the railway line In cross Parnell Rise by an ovgrh-d bridge. At this point is suggested me existing double railway track and um. nel should be converted into a. concrete road. and the railway We. n< duced by the opening of the Waugh deviation. confined to the old Glacietrack Parnell tunnel From the a“. nol exit, the route \\'\)uld be “"0312. the Ncwmarket railwxy yards, in. lar to the Town Planning Association'; scheme, but tiifi‘ering in the line taken from the mid of the Neunmrket yards to reach the Grout South Road. PRACTICAL POLITICS . "There does not appear." says Mr. Ferneyhougli. alter outlining his scheruo. “to be any engineering am_ culty which cannot be overcome. and it should be within the bounds of mi tical politics for the City Council m the. Railway Department to come ‘0 satisfactory terms. “Such a trurfic outlet would Italian the lower part of the city. including Queen Street and its environs; Sy~ monds Street, Khyber Pass Road, Anzac Avenue. the Grafton Bridge, .3 well as Newmarliet. “The eastern artery advocated by the Town Planning Association is sub. stantially part of the route prom by me, as is also the ‘route' somewhn vaguely referred to as 'parallel with the present railway line.’ “The accompanying plan clearly shows the route described by me, I: well as the existing traffic tom which are defined by heavy hm lines. It also shows in heavy dotted lines the divergence from my Helium by that of the Town Planning Assad. ation. The plan clearly shows many points of recommendation. “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 (Breakwater Road), and can. meeting with the Manukau Road lieu the old Junction Hotel, would relic" the congested traffic in Queen Street, Symonds Street, and other streets, and relieve Grafton Bridge by devming all south and east-bound tune from the lower part of the city.” (1) A shorter route. It is approximately 160 chains from Breakwater Rood to Broadway by the proposed route. approximately 166 chains via. Parnell; upproximately 234 chains via Upper Queen Street and Khyber Pass Road; and ap—proximately 250 chains via. Anzac Avenue. The two latter routes start from the tom. of Queen Street, while the Grafton Bridge route is somewhat shorter. (2) The grades on the existing min are such as to recommend such a sebum as will materially reduce the uplift new sary for motor traction to overcome. and the proposed scheme provides Just and: an outlet, the average grade thereon from Breakwater Road being approximately 1 in 68. The level at Breakwater field is llrt. above ordinary high-m spring tides. and Newmarket Station is approximately 166“. above. The cunt: routes via. Symond Street rise to In *- vation of 297“. above ordinary high W tides. an average grade of 1 in 2! m Wellesley Streetl which has an Imus!mate grade or 1 in 16 from bl same point, with a. steeper grade fl above the Town Hall. while Anne Am has a. grade of approximately 1 .1! 15. The existing route via Parnell m an elevation of 214“. at St. StaphAvenue. an average grade of 1 h 22, including Alpha. Road, Whirl! a grade or 1 in 10 (or a. m of approximately 10 chains. . "Regarding the Town-Planning”-sociation's proposed westerly m from Fairfax Road to Park Renal 3‘ would appear to be unnecessary It I! proposal is carried out. as m. Manukau Road, Khyber Pass Road ml the Grafton Bridge would be largely!!lieved of the eastern and son”! traffic proceeding to the lower pend the city, and the cost of its countletion and acquirement would so I m way toward converting the site of the present double line of railway to a concrete highway, and the purchasing“ the site from the Government.

UNPROFITABLE BRANCH LINE "My scheme would entail the acquiring from the Government or whet will otherwise become a. branch line probably not earning one per cent. WM the deviation is commissioned, and the bringing back into use of the old tunnel and‘ track. which at present are lying idle. “The diverting o! Parnell Bold (Manukau Road?) at the vicinity of the Domain Drive, travelling parallel with the present railway line through the outskirts of the Domain. form by the Town-Planning Association. is substantially the route proposed by me, but it would not achieve that which is essentially the basis of my ”be“ viz., an exceedingly easy grade. as it would only provide a. grade of Ift. 1‘ 20ft, as compared with the grade of approximately Ift. in 68ft, as mfld‘d by my scheme. My scheme would n“ entail traffic crossing Manukau Rn“'nor the encroachment on the Dunn-i! to the extent that the proposed Pfl-‘J’ lel road would do. “It is probable that the Governmfl‘ would be willing to negotiate with "'9 City Council. in view of the losses ll!curred by the railways, the fact W 1 an expenditure of approx‘mw £1,000,000 is being made on the deviation and railway station. and’ a” dead loss on the Parnell single tunnel and track. . be “As the station and deviation will in completed in the near futurE. find“: view of the Railway Departments M of sections at Newmarket at the 9m. of this month, it seems urgent that :- authorities should investigate the Po sibiiiies as soon as possible."