Subscribe to RSSPhotos: $3m RWC Link Road
Talk about paved with gold.
Here’s a look at Eden Park’s new $3 million walkway.
Eden Park's $3 million link road for the RWC 2011
The walkway is so rugby patrons can shave five minutes or so off their walking time to Eden Park for the RWC 2011 games.
And that 5 minutes is only if they are coming from the Kingsland direction, not Sandringham or cutting through from Monringside, which many will and do presently as they find parking around there.
Also, we’re told it’s expected many people will walk from the city for the RWC games so after all that walking, I’m not sure five minutes less will be noticed.
Here is the council’s official reasoning and explanation:
“The council is creating a new lane to improve pedestrian access between the city and Eden Park. The land is planned to be a shared space (low speed environment where all road users have equal priority to the road – a system which has been successful internationally) and will provide an alternative route for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers (one way only travelling around the area). For events at Eden Park, the lane is planned to be pedestrians only.”
There’s also work continuing for widening of footpaths, which necessitated the shifting of some houses opposite the train station.
Bus shelters have been moved back from the road as footpaths are extended
The corner of Walters Rd will have wider footpaths
The full list of work in the area::
- Creating a new one way road between Sandringham Rd and Walters Rd. This is a “shared space.” It will be for pedestrians only during games but otherwise can be used for vehicles one way.
- Widening Sandringham Rd between Onslow Rd and Burnley Terrace and creating new footpaths
- Putting underground overhead electric cables
- Creating a new public space at the intersection of Walters Rd
- Relocating three houses within their existing boundaries (30-34 Sandringham Rd)
- Shifting the road south-eastwards to allow for the Kingsland station upgrade
- Creating a new pedestrian crossing near the intersection of Walters and Sandringham Rds
- Creating a new southbound bus lane
- Improved lighting
- Footpath and kerb upgrades
- Water main and gas pipe renewals
10 Comments
Personally, I think this project needs an overpass from the station platforms to Walters Road
Link Rd is just a “rat run”. Creates enourmous safety issues for Kowhai school/Trent Bray swim school. And also creates major patron safety issues re crowd flow out of teh ground.
It also destroyed heritage houses. one rule for Council and another for us.
Locals opposed Link rd, including Community Board.
It’s just another RWC debacle, along with the Eden Park upgrade (wrong place), and now Queens wharf.Why events people shouldn’t design a city!
I think it’s good, although would be better if it was peds and cyclists only, put some nice bollards up and there you go.
Waste of money in my opinion…
$3m buys a lot of bus stops or rail station upgrade or two…
Jeremy, don’t question the god of rugby, or you will be in a hell of a scrum!
RWC fever could be re-named RWC pork disease…
(And I’m a big ABs fan but pork is pork)
All these ‘upgrades’ will be contextualised by the crappy state of the rail corridor to Kingsland: covered in graffiti; infested with pest plants; and, since the recent works on lowering the track for electrification, apparently half-completed. Even the relatively newly constructed Kingsland station (with what are, from an international prespective, pretty basic facilities) is beginning to look a tad tired. No vision from any of the agencies; I agree with Jeremy, it’s just pork!
“All these ‘upgrades’ will be contextualised by the crappy state of the rail corridor to Kingsland:”
Hah, at least we won’t have shipping container blockages and barbed wire fencing around the grounds!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1981-springbok-tour-auckland-kingsland-station.jpg
And another. At least this event is less controversial (though therefore also less interesting to a non-sports fan like me)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1981-springbok-tour-auckland-entry-to-ground.jpg
Most interesting photos ingolfson… thanks for finding these for everyone…