City Rail Link and Auckland Transport have celebrated a significant milestone with the opening of the lifts on the new Porters Ave Bridge in Mt Eden and official handing over of the infrastructure asset to owner Auckland Transport.
The occasion was celebrated at a dawn ceremony at the site, with karakia courtesy of CRL partners the Mana Whenua Forum (representing eight Tāmaki Makarau iwi), followed by coffees with community as locals traverse the bridge via the lifts for the very first time.
Francois Dudouit, project director for CRL Ltd delivery partner Link Alliance, said the new bridge, which replaces the previous level crossing, would improve people’s safety by separating pedestrians from rail services, and adds to the Māori narrative told throughout Maungawhau Station.
“It is a feat of engineering where a single span was lifted into place last year using three 500-tonne cranes,” he said.
“Design features ensure safety and privacy for local apartment dwellers, while the side panels of the bridge showcase triangle shapes representing the 48 maunga (mountains) in Auckland.”
Conceptually, the Porters Ave Bridge is likened to a sculpted and honed karā toki (basalt chisel) of the maunga, which would have been used to carve out the extensive earth works on Maungawhau, and dig, plant and harvest kumara pits. The bridge responds to this idea of being a newly carved and carefully honed tool of the maunga, representative of lava in its solid state.
Artist Tessa Harris (Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) has expanded on this narrative in the patterns on the glass fritting of the lift tower and the bridge’s perforated screening. The pattern represents the cross-binding of a chisel blade to a handle, and, in this case, the binding of the bridge to the lift shaft and the bridge site.
“Porters Avenue is one of four new bridges we are building for the CRL to provide greater connectivity to the new Maungawhau Station,” Dudouit said.
“It is with great pleasure we are able to hand over this bridge, which ensures safe passage for pedestrians across two rail lines.”
Auckland Transport Public Transport Development group manager, Christian Messelyn, said it was incredibly exciting to see City Rail Link start to tick off more and more milestones.
“Ultimately this bridge is about providing safe, easy access for communities on either side of the railway tracks,” he said.
“The bridge is fully accessible, with 26-person lifts at either end to take wheelchairs, prams, bikes and mobility scooters. There are also push ramps alongside the stairs for bikes.”
The old level crossing was closed to vehicles in April 2020 to enable construction of the new Western Line that, together with the City Rail Link, will connect Maungawhau Station with the city centre.
CRL Ltd chief executive Sean Sweeney says he would like to acknowledge the patience and support of local businesses and residents during an extended construction period and associated disruption.
“We understand the frustration for people going about their lives and work,” he said. “But I can assure people we are progressing this project and the opening of Porters Ave Bridge is one of many milestones we will achieve in the coming year that will improve people’s ability to get around their neighbourhood.”
