The Auckland Harbour Bridge has been around since 1959.It is considered a New Zealand icon and is used every day.Many people however think that it mimics the Syndney Bridge,although they are completly different bridges in their own way.It is used to hold cars/trucks and other vehicles while they cross the bridge.It is roughly about 1,020 metres long,still allowing small sail boats to travel under it via bridge.
In 1860, engineer Fred Bell, commissioned by North Shore farmers wanting to herd animals to market in Auckland, had proposed a harbour crossing in the general vicinity of the current bridge. It would have used but the plan failed due to the £16,000 cost estimate, NZ$1.6 million in inflation-adjusted terms (2009).
At the time of the 1950s, when bridge plans were finally realised, North Shore was still a very rural area of barely 50,000 people, offering relatively few jobs, and its growth rate was half that of the Auckland south of the Waitemata. Opening up the area via a new main road connection was to unlock the potential for further expansion of Auckland.
On Sunday, 24 May 2009, thousands of people crossed the bridge as a part of a protest by the GetAcross group against the fact that after 50 years of existence, the bridge still did not provide walking and cycling access, and against what the group perceives to be the authorities' negative and obstructionist attitude towards retrofitting such infrastructure. A crossing as part of the protest (or as part of the official 50 year anniversary celebrations) had been forbidden by NZTA for safety reasons (respectively because of the costs and traffic difficulties claimed for a managed crossing). However, after several speeches, including by Auckland Regional Council Chairman Mike Lee, several individuals managed to make their way around the edges of the police cordon to walk and cycle onto the bridge. At that stage police saw no choice but to close off the northbound traffic lanes, bringing State Highway 1 to a stop in the northbound direction. This in turn resulted in the remainder of the protesters moving onto the bridge (which was not resisted any more by the police at that stage). No accidents, violence or arrests were reported, and protesters left the bridge approximately an hour later, many having crossed all the way to North Shore and then returned.
The protest created a wide spectrum of responses in the media and in public perception, from being labelled a dangerous stunt representative of an increasingly lawless, anarchic society to being considered a successful signal to authorities to give more weight to the demands and the public backing of the walk and cycleway proponents. Authorities noted that they are investigating whether any of the protesters would face fines or charges. NZTA representatives noted that they were disappointed at what they considered the broken word of the organisers of the protest, and remarked that it would take 30 more years before walking and cycling could likely be provided on the bridge NZTA were however also criticised as having brought the situation at least partly onto themselves by choosing the easy route of forbidding the protest crossing.[37Several political protest marches had in the past been allowed to cross the bridge.
In 1860, engineer Fred Bell, commissioned by North Shore farmers wanting to herd animals to market in Auckland, had proposed a harbour crossing in the general vicinity of the current bridge. It would have used but the plan failed due to the £16,000 cost estimate, NZ$1.6 million in inflation-adjusted terms (2009).
At the time of the 1950s, when bridge plans were finally realised, North Shore was still a very rural area of barely 50,000 people, offering relatively few jobs, and its growth rate was half that of the Auckland south of the Waitemata. Opening up the area via a new main road connection was to unlock the potential for further expansion of Auckland.
On Sunday, 24 May 2009, thousands of people crossed the bridge as a part of a protest by the GetAcross group against the fact that after 50 years of existence, the bridge still did not provide walking and cycling access, and against what the group perceives to be the authorities' negative and obstructionist attitude towards retrofitting such infrastructure. A crossing as part of the protest (or as part of the official 50 year anniversary celebrations) had been forbidden by NZTA for safety reasons (respectively because of the costs and traffic difficulties claimed for a managed crossing). However, after several speeches, including by Auckland Regional Council Chairman Mike Lee, several individuals managed to make their way around the edges of the police cordon to walk and cycle onto the bridge. At that stage police saw no choice but to close off the northbound traffic lanes, bringing State Highway 1 to a stop in the northbound direction. This in turn resulted in the remainder of the protesters moving onto the bridge (which was not resisted any more by the police at that stage). No accidents, violence or arrests were reported, and protesters left the bridge approximately an hour later, many having crossed all the way to North Shore and then returned.
The protest created a wide spectrum of responses in the media and in public perception, from being labelled a dangerous stunt representative of an increasingly lawless, anarchic society to being considered a successful signal to authorities to give more weight to the demands and the public backing of the walk and cycleway proponents. Authorities noted that they are investigating whether any of the protesters would face fines or charges. NZTA representatives noted that they were disappointed at what they considered the broken word of the organisers of the protest, and remarked that it would take 30 more years before walking and cycling could likely be provided on the bridge NZTA were however also criticised as having brought the situation at least partly onto themselves by choosing the easy route of forbidding the protest crossing.[37Several political protest marches had in the past been allowed to cross the bridge.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!