7 Sep 2014

Need to look at flyover alternatives

3:31 pm on 7 September 2014

The head of the Wellington Regional Council says it is time to start looking at alternatives to the scuppered Basin Flyover proposal.

An artist's impression of the proposed Basin Reserve flyover.

An artist's impression of the proposed Basin Reserve flyover, which has now been scrapped. Photo: NZTA

The Board of Inquiry has released its final decision confirming the Transport Agency will not be given resource consent to build the $90 million overbridge.

Wellington Regional Council chairperson Fran Wilde said other transport plans such as the Bus Rapid Transit System relied on the flyover being built.

She said that meant an alternative proposal needed to be developed quickly, to avoid delaying other projects.

"We do have to address these issues, it's only a 250 metre bit of road it's not a vast new highway and we have to find a way of moving the east, west, north, south traffic streams past each other."

Ms Wilde said a new tunnel was one possibility, but it would be very expensive.