Auckland Harbour Bridge

Standing sentinel across the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland Harbour Bridge connects the central business district to the North Shore and beyond to Northland.

Situated on the nation's main artery State Highway 1, more than a billion cars have travelled across the steel bridge since constructed.

There are actually three bridges within the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The section in the middle with the steep arches and flags on top is the original four-lane 'truss' bridge, plus the two clip-ons.

Auckland Harbour Bridge facts

-:- The Auckland Harbour Bridge was opened on 30 May, 1959
-:- In 1959, 11,205 vehicles crossed the bridge daily.
-:- The daily average number of cars crossing the bridge is presently around 154,000, with more than 200,000 vehicle crossings some days [Northern Busway has had impact on car numbers as people switch to public
transport]
-:- Cars and taxis were tolled 2 shillings and 6 pence -25c - that's about $4.70 in today's money compared with $2 for cars to use the Northern Gateway Toll Road],
-:- It was built at a cost of £7,516,000, $24 million in today's terms
-:- A team of 1000 took four years to build the bridge
-:- Constructed of structural steel and reinforced concrete, the bridge spans 1.2 kilometres across the Waitemata Harbour
-:- The bridge reaches 64 metres above the water at its highest point, the top of the arch
-:- There are actually three bridges within the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The section in the middle with the steep arches and flags on top is the original four-lane 'truss' bridge, plus the two clip-ons.
-:- Clip-ons added in 1969 to provide more capacity
-:- Tolls removed in 1984
-:- Moveable lane barrier installed in 1990 to prevent head-on crashes and improve rush hour traffic flows.
-:- NZTA spends up to $4m on maintenance and resealing each year.
-:- Currently, about 160 people working on the bridge: 20 maintenance people and another 140 on the strengthening of the clip-ons
-:- The direct road link - plus two new water mains it carries - triggered massive development of North Shore which was mainly farmland and seaside villages when bridge opened.
-:- North Shore population has quadrupled in 50 years.

Before it opened in 1959, the only way passenger vehicles could cross the harbour was by ferry; a time consuming, expensive and infrequently made journey.

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