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WCC, Design Branch plans, Proposed duplication of Mount Victoria Tunnel
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Archives Identifier00529Date Range1928-1974DescriptionThis series relates to the proposal in the 1970s to construct an additional tunnel running parallel with the original Mount Victoria tunnel. It also contains plans relating to the original construction of the Mount Victoria Tunnel Access to the eastern suburbs has been an ongoing issue since the early 1900s. Rapid residential and industrial development on the Miramar Peninsula put increasing pressure on the Hataitai Tram Tunnel almost as soon as it was completed in 1907. An additional route via Newtown and Crawford Road was opened in 1915, but the number of people travelling to and from the city continued to increase. Pressures also came from the rapid uptake of the motorcar from the 1920s. Work began on the Mount Victoria Tunnel in 1928, and the tunnel was officially opened in October 1931. It was largely built by labour under the Relief Works Scheme. Through the scheme the Wellington City Council was able to raise a loan for £161,000 (Unemployment Relief Works Loan No. 3, 1929) to construct the tunnel, earlier than would have otherwise happened. From the mid-1960s there was a perceived need to improve access to eastern suburbs. Increasing traffic to and from the airport, as well as increased industrial and housing activity in the eastern suburbs were putting increasing strain on the Mount Victoria Tunnel and the streets and intersections adjacent to it. In 1964 the City Council proposed to construct an additional tunnel under Mount Victoria, along with improved access and approaches, as part of the proposed 'foothills' motorway. After several years of debate and lobbying the National Roads Board approved finance in 1968 so the proposed work could proceed as part of the overall motorway development. The new tunnel would run parallel on the eastern side of the existing tunnel. They would operate as a one-way pair, with two outward-bound lanes of traffic in the new tunnel, and two inward in the existing tunnel. The tunnels would connect with the Wellington Road and Cobham Drive roading system via Ruahine Street and Moxham Avenue, each to be made one way. From the extended motorway at Taranaki Street there would be a complete interchange of motorway and city street traffic at the Basin Reserve with Adelaide Road and Kent/Cambridge Terraces. In November 1969 the Ministry of Works agreed with the City Council to come up with a plan for the tunnel by the end of 1970. The project plan adopted aimed to have the tunnel completed by 1975, with the motorway extension component completed within 15 years. Work would be carried out by the City Council, with funding from the Crown. The City Engineer's Department Design Branch carried out the design work for the proposed tunnel and approaches, as well as the pilot tunnel dug as part of the feasibility studies. Design work was done between 1972-1973, however the tunnel never went ahead. A lack of finances saw the National Road Board turn down the proposal in 1973. The proposal lapsed until 1979, when the Road Board agreed in principle to the extension of the motorway through to Ruahine Street. However this plan never went ahead, and the tunnel proposal was shelved. The plans held come from a number of different numbering sequences, including City Engineers Drawings (the original tunnel plans), and later 20/-, 40/- and D plans from the Survey and Design Branches. All earlier plans and information were identified and gathered in the early 1970s in order to provide basic information required in planning the new tunnel. The original and new material was subsequently stored together. There is possibly some duplication between the 40/- plans held in this series and the original sequence of 40/- plans (See 00077). Plans have been retained in this series, as many have had some annotation or colouring in relation to the tunnel planning work, and as a complete set represent better the planning process gone through.Quantity (Linear Metres)2MediumPlanSystem of ArrangementNumber sequence within folders [Original sheets from several different numbering series, arranged chronologically by work]Collection TypeWellington City Council
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Controlling or Creating AgencyDesign BranchRelationship Date Range1923-1991
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WCC, Design Branch plans, Proposed duplication of Mount Victoria Tunnel. Archives Online, accessed 19/08/2026, https://archivesonline.wcc.govt.nz/nodes/view/2013