The NZ Transport Agency has welcomed a ministerial decision to refer its application for designation and resource consents for the East West Link project to a Board of Inquiry.
The Transport Agency lodged its application with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in December 2016.
The EPA reviewed the application and recommended that it be treated as a matter of national significance that should be referred to the Board of Inquiry.
The Transport Agency’s Auckland Highway Manager, Brett Gliddon, says the Board of Inquiry will give the public and stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback on what is proposed, while also providing industry with more certainty on the timeframes for the delivery of the project.
“The East West Link will be a vital connection in the transport network that keeps Auckland moving. Its location is at the heart of the country’s industrial and manufacturing industries,” Gliddon says. “It also plays a crucial role in the economic growth of all New Zealand.”
The project will build a new four-lane road between the Neilson Street Interchange at State Highway 20 and the Mt Wellington Interchange on State Highway 1, and widen State Highway 1 between Mt Wellington and Princes Street.
It will also create new and improved connections to local roads in Onehunga and Penrose, relieving the current congestion experienced across the day on Neilson Street. It will also create a seamless walking and cycling path from Onehunga to Sylvia Park.
It’s hoped construction can start in 2018. “We’re confident the Board of Inquiry process will ensure the Transport Agency’s application is thoroughly tested, that the process is transparent and the community and stakeholders are given full opportunity to make submissions and have their views heard.”
The Transport Agency has been working with Auckland Transport and the community since 2013 to develop the design and plans for the East West Link.
There will be opportunities for ongoing design work and engagement with the community during the next stages of the project.
