In an opinion piece in the Sunday Star Times, Mayor Brown said the new proposed bridge would cost a fraction of the price of the tunnel.

“The bridge would be less than 8% of the tunnel cost, and the land sales would cover that cost, so there’s a challenge to the bureaucrats: a free bridge to a new area that will reduce pressure on the existing route or a ridiculously expensive tunnel that won’t reduce congestion at all.”

He claimed the existing bridge does not cause congestion, instead it is in the roads surrounding the bridge. Brown claimed that because the new bridge would have entry and exit points in separate area, it would be the key to reducing congestion.

Councillor Richard Hills said it was good the mayor was looking “outside the box”

“We agree on a lot but definitely not on this.”

“He does bring up a good point that we need to be considering far more affordable options for future crossings across the harbour.”

Hills said the option would be “impossible to consent” to the environmental implications of the project, given it would be crossing over the Meola Reef.

He also said there would have to be extensive consultations with local iwi due to the encroachment of historical reserves like Kauri Point.

The original plan for the new harbour crossing was crafted under the Labour government and unveiled in August 2023. They said it would take decades to build and would cost $56 billion.

It was continuously rejected by major transport bodies, who had worked to come up with cheaper alternatives.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said during the election, National campaigned on the importance of a second crossing for Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour to reduce congestion, provide additional options for commuters on both sides of the harbour and address capacity pressures on the ageing Auckland Harbour Bridge.

National anticipated starting work on a new crossing by the end of the decade that, at a minimum, would provide more road connections between the North Shore and the CBD.

Simeon Brown has yet to reveal any more plans for the new crossing and said in February they would not be rushing decisions as it was “the most significant land transport project in New Zealand history”.

Wayne Brown has been approached for additional comments.

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