Mayor Phil Goff said: 鈥淭his project is critical to the future of this city. More than $700 million has already been invested in the first two stages of the tunnel. Without the CRL, Auckland will hit gridlock and the city will grind to a halt.
鈥淭he CRL is the biggest investment Council is making in transport infrastructure in the next few years. Securing additional funding ensures it will be future-proofed for growth.鈥�
He said that the cost of the tunnels and underground stations - two of the biggest parts of the project - was determined by a competitive tender process. 鈥淭he increased cost estimate reflects the increase in demand and costs for major construction projects across Australasia,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 significant part of the cost increase, some $250 million, reflects the need to future proof the tunnels and stations. We won鈥檛 repeat the mistake of the Harbour Bridge which was built at half of the size it needed to be and had to have major additions made to it within eight years. Another $300 million is money not spent but is there as a contingency against any potential cost escalations.鈥�
He added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got one shot at getting the CRL right. Approving additional funding today will ensure that we do.鈥�
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