TRAFFIC OUTLET

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 752, 27 August 1929, Page 7

TRAFFIC OUTLET

NELSON STREET SCHEME ADVOCATED MR. MURRAY’S SUGGESTION Extension of Nelson Street by a tunnel under Karangahape Road into Newton gully was advocated by Mr. G. T. Murray as an outlet for city traffic in preference to the City Council’ Belgium Street scheme, in a letter to the Auckland Town-Planning Association last evening. Criticism was directed by Mr. Murray at the proposal to provide a route via Belgium Street, with a tunnel under Karangahape Road at the top of Queen Street. He claimed that this project would cost between £150,000 and £200,000, and when completed he contended that the New North Road would become as unsafe and impassable as the roads at Grafton Br.dgo and Khyber D ass. There would be a reduction of only 20ft in elevation compared with the top of Symonds Street. He considered that this plan would provide only a partial and temporary alleviation of the existing unsatisfactory traffic conditions, . though he admitted that the present tramcar difficulties at Khyber Pass would be much eased. The distance from the City via Queen Street would only be reduced by 15 chains in a total of 140 chains. Mr. Murray concluded his criticism against the Belgium Street plan by stating that he considered any scheme adopted should be adequate to meet the city's traffic needs for the next 25 years. “The Belgium Street proposals would certainly not do this,” he said, “and any work would in time be abandoned as an insufficient and unsatisfactory outlet, with the result that the expenditure would be largely wasted." NELSON STREET SCHEME The outlet via Nelson Street was outlined by Mr. Murray. He considered this route should be paved in concrete 40ft. wide from Fanshatve Street to Beresford Street. The cost of this work, including compensation, he estimated at £25,100. An 18chaiu tunnel, 40ft. wide and 20ft. high, estimated to cost £68,000, should be driven from the present termination of Nelson Street to a point in Newton gully near the intersection of Cobden and Oxford Streets. Between the top of the tunnel and Karangahape Road there would be more than 60fi„ headroom, and it would not pass under any specially heavy buildings. The grade of the tunnel would be 1 In 132 and would be provided -with 6ft passenger tracks, and a central 30ft two-way roadway. The 100tt-w-ide road would then be carried on down an easy grade of the creek in Newton gully, said Mr. Murray, to about King Street. The route would then follow existing streets to the New North Road at the intersection of Western Springs Road, near Morningside railway station. This portion of the work would cost £78,760, including £40,000 for compensation. "Through the opening of such au arterial route there v ill be largely increased values for ai; sections ad joining or contiguous, so that it would be quite reasonable to claim for betterment in terms of the TownPlanuing Act,” said Mr. Murray. “This should reduce the total estimate by £IOO,OOO. There should also be assistance from the working railways in taking part of the land and therefore in bearing the cost of compensation where the proposed route and the proposed Morningside deviation run alongside each other, as they do for about half a mile. This being an arterial outlet the assistance of the Main Highways Board could also reasonably be expected.” The Technical group was instructed to consider the letter and submit a report.