Mount Victoria Tunnel facts for kids
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| The Mount Victoria (western) entrance to the Mount Victoria Tunnel. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°18′11″S 174°47′16″E / 41.302921°S 174.787680°E |
| Route | State Highway 1 |
| Start | Mount Victoria |
| End | Hataitai |
| Operation | |
| Owner | NZ Transport Agency |
| Operator | New Zealand Transport Agency |
| Traffic | Motor vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists |
| Technical | |
| Length | 623 metres (2,044 ft) |
| Number of lanes | Two (one in each direction) |
| Operating speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
The Mount Victoria Tunnel is a road tunnel in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is about 623 meters (2,044 feet) long and 5 meters (16.4 feet) tall. The tunnel connects the suburb of Hataitai to central Wellington, passing under Mount Victoria. It is an important part of State Highway 1, a major road in New Zealand.
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Building the Tunnel
The Hansford and Mills Construction Company built the Mount Victoria Tunnel. It took them 15 months to finish the project. The tunnel cost about £132,000, which was a lot of money back then. This new tunnel made travel much faster between Wellington's eastern suburbs and the city center.
Workers dug from both ends of the mountain to create the tunnel. This is a common way to build tunnels, with two teams digging towards each other. The two digging teams met on May 31, 1930, at 2:30 PM. The first people to walk through the newly connected tunnel were Philip Gilbert and Alfred Graham, who were part of the digging teams.
The tunnel officially opened on October 12, 1931. Thomas Hislop, who was the mayor of Wellington at the time, opened it. The Mount Victoria Tunnel was the first road tunnel in New Zealand to have a mechanical ventilation system. This means it had fans to help move fresh air through it.
Future Plans for the Tunnel
For a long time, there have been ideas to build a second tunnel next to the Mount Victoria Tunnel. This would help reduce traffic jams, especially during busy times. In 1974, a smaller "pilot" tunnel was dug to see if building a second tunnel was possible. This pilot tunnel still exists, but its ends are closed off.
Plans for a second tunnel were put on hold in 1981 because of budget cuts. Since then, there haven't been many serious proposals to build another tunnel. Traffic lights were added at the city end of the tunnel to help traffic flow better and make the Basin Reserve roundabout safer.
In 1997, the Mount Victoria Tunnel became part of State Highway 1. The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) currently has no plans to build a second tunnel in the next ten years. However, they are looking into ways to improve the roads around the Basin Reserve, which might include a flyover. A study is also looking at long-term transport options for the area. Building a new tunnel could cost around NZ$170 million.
During World War II, the government thought about using the tunnel as an air raid shelter if Wellington was attacked. But they decided against it because they thought the tunnel might not be safe enough from attacks.
Second Tunnel Ideas
After the Wellington Airport opened in 1959, people realized that more traffic would need a second tunnel. In 1974, a small pilot tunnel, about 2.5 meters wide, was dug over 12 months. The idea was to make it wider, up to 10 meters, but this plan was stopped in 1981 due to money problems. The NZTA still owns 31 properties that were meant for the tunnel's access.
The NZTA has estimated costs for designing a second tunnel and buying land for it. However, there is no set date for when construction might start. This means it's unlikely a second tunnel will be built before 2012, and it depends on other road improvements around the Basin Reserve.
How the Tunnel is Used
About 45,000 vehicles drive through the Mount Victoria Tunnel every day. People walking and cycling also use the tunnel. They use a raised path on the north side of the road. In the late 1970s, an alarm system was put on the walking path after some safety concerns, but it was later removed.
New features have been added to the tunnel recently. These include new lights, CCTV cameras, brighter side panels that are easy to clean, and systems to control pollution. These changes have made the tunnel much safer for everyone.
The tunnel can get very busy. In the morning, traffic often backs up for over 1 kilometer on the Hataitai side. In the afternoon, traffic can queue for about 0.5 kilometers on the city side. Buses going to the eastern suburbs use an older, single-lane Hataitai bus tunnel to avoid this traffic.
Planned Improvements
The NZTA's plan for 2009-2012 showed what they wanted to spend money on for state highways. Here are some projects planned for the Mount Victoria Tunnel and its approach roads:
- NZ$3.7 million for designing safety improvements for the tunnel.
- NZ$2.6 million for looking into improvements for roads around the Basin Reserve that lead to the tunnel.
- NZ$2.2 million for designing improvements for roads around the Basin Reserve, likely starting in 2011/12.
- NZ$1.1 million for buying land for possible improvements around the Basin Reserve, likely starting in 2010/11.
- NZ$40.5 million for building safety improvements for the Mount Victoria Tunnel, likely starting in 2011/12.
- NZ$5.5 million for looking into building a second Mount Victoria Tunnel, likely starting in 2011/12.
- NZ$0.1 million for looking into improvements for walking and cycling in the tunnel, starting in 2009/10.
- NZ$0.1 million for designing walking and cycling improvements, starting in 2010/11.
- NZ$1.1 million for building walking and cycling improvements, starting in 2011/12.
These plans suggest that the tunnel will get important safety upgrades in the coming years. There will also be more studies, designs, and land purchases for future upgrades to the tunnel and its roads. The NZTA also estimates that improvements to the Basin Reserve could cost around NZ$41.2 million, but there is no start date for this project yet.
Tunnel's Nickname
Many people in Wellington have a tradition of honking their car horns when they drive through the tunnel. Because of this, the tunnel is often called the "Toot Tunnel." Some people believe this tradition started as a way to remember Phyllis Symons. She was a woman who was accidentally buried alive by a tunnel worker named George Coats during the tunnel's construction.
The tradition of tooting in the tunnel was even shown in an episode of the comedy TV show Wellington Paranormal.
Images for kids
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The Mount Victoria (western) entrance to the Mount Victoria Tunnel.
