80-796: The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland , New Zealand. It joins St Marys Bay on the Auckland city side with Northcote on the North Shore side. It is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway . The bridge is operated by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). It is the second-longest road bridge in New Zealand, and
160-461: A construction barge was floating the 1,200-ton structure section into place, and manoeuvring boats were unable to keep it under control. The William C Daldy took up station and kept up the pull for over 36 uninterrupted hours before the wind subsided, burning 40 tons of coal. The harbour board were intending in 1977 to dispose of the tug for scrapping , but she was instead leased in 1978 (and in 1989 purchased for $ 1) by an enthusiast organisation,
240-413: A diverse array of organisations, calling for Waka Kotahi to liberate the lane now to give Aucklanders more affordable and sustainable transport options, and that it would be a key symbol of climate action. On Sunday, 24 May 2009, thousands of people crossed the bridge as a part of a protest by GetAcross against the bridge not providing walking and cycling access, and against what the group perceives to be
320-569: A forested river valley and a flooded harbour. In periods of low sea level, a tributary ran from Milford into the Shoal Bay stream. This valley provided the harbour with a second entrance when sea levels rose, until the Lake Pupuke volcano plugged this gap. Approximately 17,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were significantly lower, the river flowed north-east along
400-515: A lane on the motor bridge to walking and cycling, including a design solution to mitigate safety concerns. The report revealed that motor traffic volumes have declined, leaving space on the bridge to reallocate one lane for walking, cycling, and wheeling "without significantly affecting motor traffic" Bike Auckland continues to advocate to Waka Kotahi to Liberate the Lane, stating that Waka Kotahi 's Waitematā connections project will take too long to deliver
480-407: A mauri stone (a stone of Māori religious significance) called Te Mata, which was placed on Boat Rock (in the harbour south-west of Chatswood ) by Te Arawa chief Kahumatamomoe. A popular translation of Waitematā is "The Obsidian Waters", referring to obsidian rock ( matā ). Another popular translation, derived from this, is "The Sparkling Waters", as the harbour waters were said to glint like
560-478: A police cordon blocking access. After Bike Auckland's rally concluded, much of the crowd made their way over to the police cordon and pushed past onto the bridge, to show their determination for access for walking and cycling to be provided on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. No injuries were reported however one person was arrested for breaching the cordon, before being released without charge. In response to
640-674: A population of 84 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 60 people (250.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 63 people (300.0%) since the 2006 census . There were no households. There were 60 males and 21 females, giving a sex ratio of 2.86 males per female. The median age was 25.5 years, with no people aged under 15 years, 54 (64.3%) aged 15 to 29, 21 (25.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 9 (10.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 50.0% European/Pākehā, 10.7% Māori, 3.6% Pacific peoples, 39.3% Asian, and no other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas
720-490: A report by SmartSense Limited, addressing key concerns about reallocating a lane on the motor bridge to walking and cycling, and proposing a design solution to mitigate safety concerns. On 6 August 2023, Waka Kotahi announced their Waitematā Harbour Crossings plan which includes a tunnel for light rail and a tunnel for motor traffic under the Harbour, and walking and cycling on two lanes of the existing Harbour Bridge. Construction
800-564: A stand-alone walking and cycling bridge called the Northern Pathway was announced by the New Zealand Government, but also was not built. About 170,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day (as of 2019), including over 1,000 buses, which carry 38% of all people crossing during the morning peak. Prior to the opening of the bridge in 1959, the quickest way from Auckland to the North Shore was by passenger or vehicular ferry. By road,
880-522: A walk- and cycleway was a desirable goal, and instructed Auckland Transport to add it to its strategic priorities. The walk- and cycleway is also to be included in the city centre masterplan. Three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) – Auckland Transport, the Waterfront Development Agency and the Tourism, Events and Economic Development Agency – indicated support for the proposal, as has
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#1732845093325960-558: A walking and cycling connection across the Harbour. Their campaign has attracted the support of a diverse array of organisations, all calling for Waka Kotahi to liberate the lane now. Reasons for their support range from giving Aucklanders more affordable and sustainable transport options, to it being a key action for climate action mitigation and emissions reduction. The bridge supports several utility services, including water and gas pipelines and fibre-optic telecommunications cables. Transpower reached agreement with Transit in 2005 for
1040-500: A wide spectrum of responses in the media and in public perception, from being labelled a dangerous stunt representative of an increasingly lawless, anarchic society to being considered a successful signal to authorities to give more weight to the demands and the public backing of the walk and cycleway proponents. Authorities noted that they were investigating whether any of the protesters would face fines or charges. NZTA representatives noted that they were disappointed at what they considered
1120-451: Is a historic steam-powered tugboat operating on the Waitematā Harbour , in Auckland , New Zealand. Named after William Crush Daldy , an Auckland politician, she was built in 1935 and is still an active vessel, maintained by an enthusiast preservation society which charters her out for functions and cruises. The tug was built in 1935 by Lobnitz & Company in Renfrew , Scotland for
1200-403: Is expected to start by 2029. Waka Kotahi's forecast is that 6400 people would walk and cycle across the Auckland Harbour Bridge every day. Bike Auckland continues to advocate for Waka Kotahi to Liberate the Lane, stating that Waka Kotahi 's Waitematā connections project will take too long to deliver a walking and cycling connection across the Harbour. Their campaign has attracted the support of
1280-588: The Auckland Harbour Board . She has a bollard pull of about 17 tons, and is fired by two coal-burning boilers, making her one of the strongest such tugs still afloat. In 1958, she prevented one of the pre-assembled main sections of the Auckland Harbour Bridge (then just being constructed over the Waitematā Harbour) from being damaged or lost in a major storm. Strong winds had come up as
1360-699: The First National Government of New Zealand opting for an 'austerity' design of four lanes without footpaths, and including an approach road network only after local outcry over traffic effects. The decision to reduce the bridge in this way has been called "a ringing testament to [...] the peril of short-term thinking and penny-pinching". On 1 December 1950, an act of parliament formed the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority, chaired by Sir John Allum , then Mayor of Auckland City , who appointed British firm Freeman Fox & Partners to design
1440-536: The National Roads Board specified the gradient and locations where the bridge could launch from the shore on either side of the harbour, while the Auckland Harbour Board required an opening of 43.5 metres above the high tide point. Public Works commissioner Bob Norman, concerned about the narrow bridge design, attempted to negotiate with both the Roads Board and Harbour Board for additional width allowance for
1520-523: The Northern Busway . Up to 9,000 riders were protected by 160 stationary buses used as a 'guard of honour' between the bridge end and the Northern Busway from traffic on the rest of the motorway. When the bridge was built, rail lines and walking paths were dropped for cost reasons, and neither were they included during the clip-on construction (people can walk on the span only via guided tours). After
1600-694: The Rangitoto Channel , meeting the Mahurangi River to the east of Kawau Island . The resulting river flowed further north-east between modern day Little Barrier Island and Great Barrier Island , eventually emptying into the Pacific Ocean north of Great Barrier Island. The current shore is strongly influenced by tidal rivers, particularly in the west and north of the harbour. Mudflats covered by mangroves flourish in these conditions, and salt marshes are also typical. Prior to European settlement,
1680-455: The 920 tons of reinforcing material instead of the approximately half amount of that originally envisaged, clip-on maintenance costs had increased by a further NZ$ 41 million. NZTA noted that the clip-ons would not be able to be strengthened again after the current works were finished. However, after completion of the upgrade, the bridge would have a further life of between 20 and 40 years if truck restrictions were reintroduced in 10–20 years on
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#17328450933251760-589: The Heart of the City ( Auckland CBD ) business association. In August 2011, an editorial in The New Zealand Herald gave conditional support to the newest proposal, noting that a toll-based funding model and the partially enclosed weather-protected design of the $ 23 million proposal by Hopper Developments would appear to cover most concerns. In 2014, the proposed walk and cycleway was publicly notified, and consent
1840-575: The William C Daldy Preservation Society, which subsequently kept her in working trim, hiring her out for functions and charter cruises. Latterly the vessel was docked in Viaduct Harbour in Auckland city centre , though she had a number of berths around the harbour over time. In May 2023 it was revealed that, following a period of reduced income and maintenance during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently,
1920-415: The additions were much higher than if the extra lanes had been provided initially. The clip-ons have been plagued by significant issues. In 1987, cracks required major repair works, and in 2006, further cracks and signs of material fatigue were found. The clip-ons were originally to have a life expectancy of 50 years. Auckland City Council's Transport Committee requested Transit New Zealand to investigate
2000-418: The area via a new route unlocked the potential for further expansion of Auckland. The recommendations of the design team and the report of the 1946 Royal Commission were for five or six traffic lanes, with one or two of them to be reversed in direction depending on the flow of traffic, and with a footpath for pedestrians on each side. The latter features were dropped for cost reasons before construction started,
2080-410: The authorities' negative and obstructionist attitude towards such access. A crossing either as part of the protest or as part of the official 50-year anniversary celebrations had been forbidden by NZTA because of the costs and traffic difficulties claimed for a managed crossing. However, after several speeches, including by Auckland Regional Council Chairman Mike Lee , several people made their way around
2160-493: The barrier transfer machines, which had lasted four times their original design life of five years, and the barrier were replaced. The new machines are capable of moving the barrier in half the time the old machines did. The concrete barrier blocks and the metal expansion blocks have been reduced in width by 200 mm, giving more width in the lanes either side of the barrier. As part of the Victoria Park Tunnel project,
2240-462: The bridge over the summer and included speeches by Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick and former associate minister of transport Julie Anne Genter . The rally was motivated by uncertainty around the future of the SkyPath project. Waka Kotahi had quietly sidelined the project due to technical issues. The Western clip on of the bridge (two motor traffic lanes) had been closed in advance of the rally, with
2320-522: The bridge, increasing the width of the deep centre span from 2.9 metres to 4.12 metres. By the 1970s, many box girder bridges began to develop structural problems, such as the Freeman Fox and Partners-designed West Gate Bridge in Melbourne which collapsed during construction in 1970. The Auckland Harbour Bridge was inspected by the design firm, which found that the stiffening member had buckled by 61mm, so it
2400-523: The bridge. Because of the costs of the proposal and increasing information about the problematic state of the clip-ons , the GetAcross campaign in late 2009 proposed an alternative solution, with a single shared walking and cycling path slung under the eastern clip-on. As confirmed by NZTA, this clip-on has significantly more remaining load capacity (it is used by fewer heavy trucks, being the route of (often empty) trucks returning to Ports of Auckland ) and as
2480-866: The bridge. The bridge took four years to build, with Dorman Long (who had constructed the Sydney Harbour Bridge ) and the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company contracted to construct the bridge in October 1954. The first stage of construction involved land reclamation at the Westhaven Marina , which was completed by September 1955. The steel girder structure pieces were fabricated in England and shipped to New Zealand. The steel bridge structure began erection in December 1956. Hundreds of labourers were employed on
Auckland Harbour Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-676: The bridge. The Harbour Board required the 43.5 metre clearance so that the entire fleet of ships operating within New Zealand could navigate the harbour, the largest of which was the P&;O cruise liner SS Canberra . Norman argued that the Canberra was extremely unlikely to use the only major dock west of the bridge at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery , so the Harbour Board agreed to a smaller opening. This allowed Freeman Fox and Partners to redesign
2640-420: The broken word of the organisers of the protest, and remarked that it would take 30 more years before walking and cycling could likely be provided (see also "Second Harbour Crossing" below). NZTA were criticised as having brought the situation at least partly onto themselves by choosing the easy route of forbidding the protest crossing. Several political protest marches (especially hīkoi ) had been allowed to cross
2720-539: The city's main port and the Auckland waterfront to the Hauraki Gulf and the Pacific Ocean . It is sheltered from Pacific storms by Auckland's North Shore , Rangitoto Island , and Waiheke Island . The oldest Māori name of the harbour was Te Whanga-nui o Toi (The Big Bay of Toi), named after Toi , an early Māori explorer. The name Waitematā means "Te Mata Waters", which according to some traditions refers to
2800-471: The construction including 180 men sent out from the UK. Progress was slowed with the workers going on strike in 1956 and 1957. The large steel girder sections were partially pre-assembled, then floated into place on construction barges. One of the main spans was almost lost during stormy weather when the barge began to drift, but the tugboat William C Daldy won a 36-hour tug-of-war against the high winds. The bridge
2880-477: The conversion. It was increased in 1980 from 20 to 25 cents (approximately $ 1.21 in 2018). Tolling was later made north-bound only before being discontinued on 31 March 1984, and the booths were removed. The toll system was removed as the cost of collection began to outweigh the profits. When this happened, the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority enquired if the National Roads Board would take over operations if
2960-592: The costs to be too high. Other stakeholders such as the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) considered the proposal as not having enough merit for the $ 22–53 million cost, though campaigners noted that the costs cited for the project included 45% contingencies. A proposal from the Auckland Regional Council (one of the proponents) to open up part of the clip-on structure for a walking / cycling trial use over several summer weekends, to show whether it would attract enough users, did not go forward. The GetAcross group
3040-407: The deepwater wharf at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery , one of the few such wharves west of the bridge. While often considered an Auckland icon, many see the construction of the bridge without walking, cycling, and rail facilities as a big oversight. In 2016, an add-on structure providing a walk-and-cycleway called SkyPath received Council funding approval and planning consent, but was not built. In 2021,
3120-501: The early 1990s increase in public transportation patronage in Auckland, the Ministry of Works and Development investigated if the 'clip-ons' could be used for a light rail system, which they found was feasible if the lanes were used exclusively for this purpose. In 2007 discussions about the addition of a cycle and footpath link were mooted. Transit noted that this would cost between NZ$ 20 million and $ 40 million, but public support
3200-506: The first bungy jump from the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Waitemat%C4%81 Harbour Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland , New Zealand. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge . It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour . With an area of 70 square miles (180 km ), it connects
3280-474: The future of the clip-ons as part of its ten-year plan. Transit noted that the plan already includes some funding for bridge maintenance. In May 2007, Transit proposed a by-law change banning vehicles over 4.5 tonnes from the outside lane on each clip-on to reduce stress on the structure. This was changed in July 2007 to a bylaw banning vehicles of 13 tonnes or more, based on the high level of voluntary compliance during
Auckland Harbour Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-403: The harbour offered good protection in almost all winds, and lacked dangerous shoals or major sand bars (like on the Manukau Harbour ) that would have made entry difficult. The harbour also proved a fertile area for encroaching development, with major land reclamation undertaken, especially along the Auckland waterfront , within a few decades of the city's European founding. Taking the idea of
3440-518: The harbour was the site of many Tāmaki Māori pā and kāinga , including Kauri Point in Chatswood , Okā at Point Erin, Te Tō at Freemans Bay , Te Ngahuwera, Te Rerenga-oraiti at Point Britomart , and Ōrākei . Herald Island and Watchman Island were both settled by the Waiohua confederation. The Waitematā Harbour was traditionally used as a fishery used by Tāmaki Māori for sharks and snapper . In
3520-543: The harbour, notable among them the Devonport Naval Base , and the accompanying Kauri Point Armament Depot at Birkenhead , and the Chelsea Sugar Refinery wharf, all capable of taking ships over 500 gross register tons (GRT). Smaller wharves at Birkenhead, Beach Haven, Northcote, Devonport and West Harbour offer commuter ferry services to the Auckland CBD . The harbour is a drowned valley system that
3600-652: The installation of cable supports beneath the bridge for a future cross-harbour power cable. In 2012, Transpower installed three 220,000-volt cables on the bridge, linking Hobson Street substation in the Auckland CBD to the Wairau Road substation on the North Shore. AJ Hackett operates a 40 metres (130 ft) bungy jump experience and a guided bridge climb over the arch truss. In popular culture, Bryan Bruce 's television documentary The Bridge (2002) featured footage of
3680-523: The late 18th century and early 19th century, the waters were fished together by Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei and Ngāti Pāoa . In traditional legend, the Waitematā Harbour is protected by a taniwha named Ureia, who takes the form of a whale. The harbour has long been the main anchorage and port area for the Auckland region. Well-sheltered not only by the Hauraki Gulf itself but also by Rangitoto Island,
3760-530: The latter of which lies on a short triangular peninsula jutting into the harbour. The harbour is crossed at its narrowest point by the Auckland Harbour Bridge . To the east of the bridge's southern end lie the marinas of Westhaven and the suburbs of Freemans Bay and the Viaduct Basin . Further east from these, and close to the harbour's entrance, lies the Port of Auckland . There are other wharves and ports within
3840-485: The longest in the North Island . The original inner four lanes, opened in 1959, are of box truss construction. Two lanes were added to each side in 1968–1969 and are of orthotropic box structure construction extend as cantilevers from the original piers . The bridge is 1,020 m (3,348 ft) long, with a main span of 243.8 metres (800 feet) rising 43.27 metres (142 feet) above high water, allowing ships access to
3920-555: The moveable barrier has been extended southwards to the Fanshawe Street onramp. As part of large events such as the Auckland Marathon , normal motorway restrictions on access are sometimes relaxed. December 2011 was the first time that cyclists were officially allowed on the bridge, for a race / community cycling event organised by Telstra Clear , Auckland Transport , NZTA and Cycle Action Auckland , also allowing cyclists on
4000-463: The names of three of them are recorded on a memorial plaque underneath the bridge at the Northcote end. The hollow girder design by Freeman, Fox and Partners design was unprecedented in New Zealand, and fell outside the 1950s building codes in New Zealand. Initial plans for the bridge were for an extremely slender structure, only 2.9 metres thick, due to the competing specifications from two stakeholders:
4080-415: The need for a massive motorway through the city centre of Auckland and severely damaging inner-city suburbs such as Freemans Bay and Grafton . The bridge was originally built with four lanes for traffic. Owing to the rapid expansion of suburbs on the North Shore and increasing traffic levels, it was soon necessary to increase capacity; by 1965, the annual use was about 10 million vehicles, three times
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#17328450933254160-415: The northbound clip-on. A "tidal flow" ( dynamic lanes ) system is in place, with the direction of the two centre lanes changed to provide an additional lane for peak-period traffic. During the morning peak, five of the eight lanes are for southbound traffic; in the afternoon, five lanes are northbound. At other times, the lanes are split evenly, but peak traffic has become proportionately less – in 1991 there
4240-525: The older-style "combined sewers" in several surrounding western suburbs dump contaminated wastewater overflows into the harbour on approximately 52 heavy-rain days a year, leading to regular health warnings at popular swimming beaches, until the outfalls have dispersed again. A major new project, the Central Interceptor , starting 2019, is to reduce these outfalls by about 80% once completed around 2024. The statistical area of Inlet Waitemata Harbour had
4320-586: The original forecast. In 1967, a contract was given to Japanese firm Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (now IHI Corporation) to construct two steel box girder bridges affixed to the Harbour Bridge, to greatly increase the number of lanes on the bridge. The girder sections were prefabricated in Japan and transported to New Zealand on a converted oil tanker. The eastern section was completed in January 1969, while
4400-413: The path of oncoming traffic. In 1990, a movable concrete safety barrier was put in place to separate traffic heading in opposite directions and eliminate head-on accident. Two specially designed barrier transfer machines moved the barrier by one lane four times a day, at a speed of 6 km/h, the first concrete safety barrier of its kind installed on a box girder bridge in the world. In March 2009,
4480-407: The plan failed due to the £16,000 cost estimate ($ 1.9 million, adjusted for inflation as of March 2017). Additional structures for a bridge crossing the harbour were proposed in 1927 and 1929. In the 1950s, when the bridge was being built, North Shore was a mostly rural area of barely 50,000 people, with few jobs and a growth rate half that of Auckland south of the Waitematā Harbour . Opening up
4560-413: The police cordon onto the bridge. At that stage police closed the northbound lanes to traffic, bringing State Highway 1 to a stop. The remainder of the protesters moved onto the bridge, which was not resisted any more by the police. No accidents, violence or arrests were reported, and protesters left the bridge approximately an hour later, many having crossed to the North Shore and back. The protest created
4640-407: The previous months. In 2007, it was announced that NZ$ 45 million in maintenance work on the clip-ons was brought forward as part of good practice. In October 2007, a 2006 report from Beca Group surfaced in the press, noting that the clip-ons were at risk of catastrophic, immediate failure in circumstances such as a traffic jam trapping a large number of trucks. Transit noted that this situation
4720-432: The project up until the end of September, and the final amount spent was not known. In 2022 Waka Kotahi confirmed it would not provide a trial of walking and cycling on the Auckland Harbour Bridge due to concerns around safety of people using the lane and motor congestion on the bridge. In July 2023 Bike Auckland released a report by consultant SmartSense Limited, addressing Waka Kotahi's key concerns about reallocating
4800-447: The proposal for a trial cycle lane, NZTA stated that a cycle lane would likely require two lanes in order to provide sufficient protection for cyclists and pedestrians. A couple of days after Bike Auckland 's rally, in June 2021, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced a new stand-alone walking and cycling bridge would be built on the eastern side of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The bridge
4880-456: The proposal would not require widening, the costs have been preliminarily assessed as of the order of NZ$ 12 million. The group proposes to raise the majority of the funding via a loan backed by small tolls, of the order of NZ$ 1 for regular users. NZTA noted that it would be considering the proposal, should funding be able to be secured by the campaigners. In 2011, the proposal got new public support when Auckland Mayor Len Brown agreed that
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#17328450933254960-458: The several Māori portage paths over the isthmus one step further, the creation of a canal that would link the Waitematā and Manukau harbours was considered in the early 1900s. Legislation (the Auckland and Manukau Canal Act 1908) was passed that would allow authorities to take privately owned land where it was deemed required for a canal. However, no serious work (or land take) was undertaken. The act
5040-508: The shortest route was via the Northwestern Motorway (then complete only between Great North Road and Lincoln Road), Massey , Riverhead, and Albany, a distance of approximately 50 km (31 mi). As early as 1860, engineer Fred Bell, commissioned by North Shore farmers who wanted to herd animals to market in Auckland, had proposed a harbour crossing in the general vicinity of the bridge. It would have used floating pontoons , but
5120-401: The standard of driving. Of the 600,000 vehicles which used the bridge over this period, 6,000 were stopped, with half of those receiving a ticket and the rest cautioned. A second blitz was held for 36 hours a few weeks later. For many years, lane directions were indicated by overhead signals. In the late 1980s, a number of fatal head-on accidents occurred when vehicles crossed lane markings into
5200-480: The toll booths were removed, which they agreed to. When the bridge became toll free, most of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority staff were absorbed into the roads board. Some critics have alleged that the routing of State Highway 1 over the bridge was motivated by the need to create toll revenue, and led to a decades-long delay on finishing the Western Ring Route around Auckland, significantly contributing to
5280-414: The volcanic glass obsidian. However, this is incorrect, as grammatically Waitematā could not mean this. The harbour is an arm of the Hauraki Gulf, extending west for eighteen kilometres from the end of the Rangitoto Channel . Its entrance is between North Head and Bastion Point in the south. The westernmost ends of the harbour extend past Whenuapai in the northwest, and to Te Atatū Peninsula in
5360-533: The walking and cycling "clipon" could start in 2020. Mayoral candidate John Tamihere proposed replacement with a 10-lane lower level plus rail and cycling/pedestrian facilities on an upper level. On 30 May 2021, more than 1,500 cyclists crossed the bridge following the Liberate the Lane rally at Point Erin Park organised by Bike Auckland . The rally called for a trial of reallocating a traffic lane for walking and cycling on
5440-513: The west, as well as forming the estuarial arm known as the Whau River in the southwest. The northern shore of the harbour consists of North Shore . North Shore suburbs located closest to the shoreline include Birkenhead , Northcote and Devonport (west to east). On the southern side of the harbour is Auckland CBD and the Auckland waterfront , and coastal suburbs such as Mission Bay , Parnell , Herne Bay and Point Chevalier (east to west),
5520-479: The western side was completed shortly before the additional lanes were formally opened on 23 September 1969. Each side added two additional lanes to the bridge, doubling the number of lanes to eight. As the sections were manufactured by a Japanese company, this led to the nickname 'Nippon clip-ons'. The selection of the company was considered a bold move at the time, barely 20 years after WWII and with some considerable anti-Japanese sentiment still existing. The costs of
5600-536: Was 57.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 39.3% had no religion, 50.0% were Christian, and 3.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (10.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 3 (3.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 40,200. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 54 (64.3%) people were employed full-time, 6 (7.1%) were part-time, and 0 (0.0%) were unemployed. William C Daldy William C Daldy
5680-515: Was carved through Miocene marine sediments of the Waitemata Group . Recent volcanism in the Auckland volcanic field has also shaped the coast, most obviously at Devonport and the Meola Reef (a lava flow which almost spans the harbour), but also in the explosion craters of Orakei Basin and in western Shoal Bay . Over the last two million years, the harbour has cycled between periods of being
5760-693: Was constructed from opposing sides of the harbour. The southern section was cantilevered , until both sides were joined in March 1959. Completed in April 1959, three weeks ahead of schedule, the bridge was officially opened on 30 May 1959 by the Governor-General Lord Cobham . An open day had been held, when 106,000 people had walked across. The opening period was extremely busy, despite the poor weather in Auckland experienced in June 1959. Either three or four men had been killed by accidents during construction, and
5840-564: Was decided to strengthen the bridge's girder system. Paid for by government-backed loans , the bridge started out as a toll bridge , the first one in New Zealand, with toll booths at the northern end for north-bound and south-bound traffic. Tolls were originally 2/6 (2 shillings and six pence: approximately $ 5.50 in 2018) per car but were reduced to 2/- (2 shillings: approximately $ 4.47 in 2018) after 15 months of operation. The toll remained at 2 shillings until New Zealand changed to decimal currency in July 1967, when that amount became 20 cents in
5920-474: Was estimated to cost a total of $ 785 million and had the support of Auckland mayor Phil Goff who said it would benefit both Aucklanders and tourists. The plan received criticism from cycling, trucking and other transport advocates, as well as from the government opposition parties. In October 2021, Wood announced the project had been scrapped due to lack of public support. He said Waka Kotahi had spent $ 51 million on designs, consultants and engineering plans for
6000-428: Was extremely unlikely, and measures already implemented would prevent it from occurring. In January 2008, it became known that even after the multimillion-dollar maintenance works, a full ban for trucks on all clip-on lanes might be required, or the working life could be reduced to only ten more years. In late 2009, it was announced that due to greater than expected complexity of the task and increasing material costs for
6080-495: Was given in 2015. However, this was appealed by three local groups (two which later dropped out of the appeal). The decision of the original hearing was upheld in December 2016, and the last appeal rejected by the Environment Court . In the meantime, Council had already provided in principle approval for a public-private partnership funding model, in a unanimous support vote earlier in 2016. A 2019 announcement said that work on
6160-404: Was often a higher than 3:1 difference in directional traffic; in 2006, this had dropped to around 1.6:1. The bridge has an estimated capacity of 180,000 vehicles per day, and in 2006 had an average volume of 168,754 vehicles per day (up from 122,000 in 1991). In March 1982, the Ministry of Transport and Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority conducted a week-long traffic blitz in an attempt to improve
6240-589: Was polled as very high. The GetAcross group and Cycle Action Auckland (later rebranded to Bike Auckland) argued that lower-cost options were available, and that provision for a walk- and cycleway could relatively easily be included in the bridge strengthening works that were being planned for the clip-ons. A 2008 proposal to modify the clip-ons and potentially widen them to add walking and cycling paths met with different reactions. While Auckland Regional Council and North Shore City Council voted to support it (under certain conditions), Auckland City Council considered
6320-583: Was repealed on 1 November 2010. In 1982, a group that included leaders of the Anglican and Catholic proposed the construction of the Christ of the Ships, a 12 m (39 ft) bronze statue of Jesus be constructed on a reef in the Waitematā Harbour. The project was cancelled after facing significant opposition by Christian leaders from other denominations. While the harbour has numerous beaches popular for swimming,
6400-539: Was showcasing its proposed walking/cycling solution , called SkyPath, on its website. Following years of campaigning a Harbour Bridge crossing, known as Skypath, was promised funding by the Labour Party in the lead-up to the 2017 general election . Once Labour was in government, the project was passed to the Waka Kotahi / NZ Transport Agency which released a revised design in 2019. In July 2023 Bike Auckland released
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