Auckland Harbour Bridge
| Auckland Harbour Bridge | |
|---|---|
Auckland Harbour Bridge seen east from Watchman Island.
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| Coordinates | 36°49′52″S 174°44′44″E / 36.830985°S 174.745519°ECoordinates: 36°49′52″S 174°44′44″E / 36.830985°S 174.745519°E |
| Carries | 8 lanes of New Zealand State Highway 1 (as the Auckland Northern Motorway |
| Crosses | Waitemata Harbour |
| Locale | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Maintained by | NZ Transport Agency |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Box truss |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 1,020 metres (3,350 ft) |
| Longest span | 243.8 metres (800 ft) |
| Number of spans | 9 |
| Load limit | 13 tonnes (13 long tons; 14 short tons) on outside lanes |
| Clearance above | 4.8 metres (16 ft) |
| Clearance below | 43.27 metres (142.0 ft) at high tide |
| History | |
| Designer | Freeman Fox & Partners |
| Constructed by | Dorman Long and Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company |
| Construction begin | 1954 |
| Construction end | April 1959 |
| Opened | 30 May 1959 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Until 31 March 1984 |
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in the former North Shore City, New Zealand. It is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway. The bridge is operated by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). It is the second-longest road bridge in New Zealand, and the longest in the North Island.
It is 1,020 m (3,348 ft) long, with a main span of 243.8 m, rising 43.27 m above high water, allowing ships access to the deepwater wharf at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery, one of the few such wharves west of the bridge, the proposed Te Atatu port not having been built.
While often considered an Auckland icon, criticism has included the nickname of 'coathanger' due to its shape, and complaints that it mimics the Sydney Harbour Bridge in copyist fashion. Many see the construction of the bridge without walking, cycling, and rail facilities as a big oversight. However, in 2016, "SkyPath" an add-on structure providing a walk-and-cycleway received Council funding approval and planning consent.
The bridge sees a small number of suicide attempts, with between one and two people each year dying from jumping into the Waitemata Harbour.
Bungy operator AJ Hackett operates a 40-m bungy jump from the bridge and offers a bridge climb with views of the city and the harbour.
In 2010, almost 40% of commuters crossing during the 7-9 a.m. morning peak were using buses, a testament to the success of the Northern Busway leading to the bridge (though no bus lanes are on the bridge).
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Wikipedia