Redesign Of Mt Roskill Sh20 Project

Transit New Zealand’s $139million SH20 Mt Roskill motorway project passes around the base of the Mt Roskill volcanic cone. The question has been raised of whether or not the earthworks involved comply with the Reserves and Other Land Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act of 1915.

The 1915 Act requires that any earthworks on the slope must leave a batter slope that can be planted rather than a vertical cut.

”While we do not believe that the 1915 legislation applies to Transit as a Crown entity and we are ready to go to the High Court to seek a declaratory judgment confirming this, Transit does have design options,” said Auckland regional manager, Wayne McDonald.

“We are satisfied that we can modify the design in such a way that the motorway, in relation to the cone, will better accommodate the intention of the 1915 Act. While the new design will remain within the approved designation, it will provide a different approach that will arguably have even less impact on the cone.”

Mr McDonald said Transit intended to proceed on this basis. The design work would be carried out in tandem with the New Zealand Transport Strategy review required by government of all state highway projects over $20 million.. (DEBORAH DO NOT ADD THAT FINAL SENTENCE)

Note to editor: A batter is an engineering term used to describe the slope of the land between the edge of the near level surface of a road and the original countryside the road is being built through

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