A new plan to tunnel underneath Auckland's Waitematā Harbour is far from the first to propose a second crossing between the CBD and North Shore suburbs.
If built, the new tunnel would become the third road link across the harbour with State Highway 1 through the existing bridge and State Highway 18 on the Western Ring Route.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the $35-45 billion programme was a "bold plan" yesterday but stressed that all parts of the plan were going to be "staged" or "phased".
Meanwhile, Transport Minister David Parker said funding would be prioritised to secure the land needed for parts of the project.
But proposals to build an additional road link across the harbour have dated back to the mid-1970s, whilst a North Shore train line was proposed multiple times even prior to the existing bridge's completion.
With thousands of pages in studies carried out across the past four decades, several bridge and tunnel proposals have since failed to come to fruition in the time since.
The list below is not an exhaustive look at past proposals.
1987
TVNZ's Top Half spoke to frustrated motorists in 1987 as the Auckland Regional Authority considered a proposal to ease maddening traffic congestion on the Northern Motorway.
TVNZ’s Top Half examined the issue as a tunnel proposal was under the microscope. (Source: 1News)
An approximately $450 million road tunnel had been pitched, with several companies offering to build it.
The proposal would cost at least $1 billion in 2023, accounting for inflation.
Around this time, additional bridge and public transport options had also been considered as a result of a study into the idea of a second crossing.
1999: 'Auckland taking planning seriously'
In 1999, the Auckland Regional Council recommended plans for a second harbour bridge to be completed in 20 years.
It would've run alongside the existing bridge and then be tunnelled under Grey Lynn and Herne Bay — connecting it to the Northwestern Motorway.
"This is the first stage of Auckland taking planning seriously," then-Auckland City mayor Christine Fletcher told 1News at the time.
"This is the first stage of Auckland taking planning seriously," then-mayor Christine Fletcher told 1News. (Source: 1News)
It came after a controversial option that could've seen hundreds of homes demolished in the suburb of Pt Chevalier in order to make room for a second bridge from the north.
2009: 'Planning is now moving up a gear'
Then-transport minister Steven Joyce said the Government was prioritising the third harbour crossing and that it would be built within the next two decades.
"Planning is now moving up a gear for the third harbour crossing," he said.
Transport officials applied to protect land that could be used for a second crossing. (Source: 1News)
"It's my expectation that the third harbour crossing will increase the number of lanes across the harbour and also allow for public transport corridors and walking and cycling lanes."
In 2008, the first part of the Northern Busway opened, offering a congestion-free alternative for commuters. Buses carried a majority of people crossing the bridge to the city centre in the morning rush hour, according to pre-pandemic estimates.
The bus-only road was designed to be opened to other vehicles if it turned out to be a white elephant. (Source: 1News)
It came after another study in 2007 that looked at options for tunnels and bridges.
Another study recommended several proposals for roads and public transport. (Source: 1News)
2010s: Skypath
Advocate proposals for a clip-on walking and cycling lane on the existing Harbour Bridge were adopted by then-Auckland mayor Len Brown in the early 2010s.
He described the "Skypath" proposal as a "real game changer" for the city.
Labour promised to fund the project as part of its 2017 campaign, and the clip-on bridge came to be solidified as central government policy over the following years.
But difficulties with the design saw it challenged by engineers. The original design was then reportedly scrapped in early 2021.
2021: Northern Pathway
In June 2021, then-new transport minister Michael Wood announced the Government would push ahead with a standalone $785 million walking and cycling bridge.
"Auckland will not reach its potential without it," Wood said in a media release.
The idea was met with a chilly reaction, both by motoring lobbyists, who suggested that a road should be prioritised, but also by some cycling advocates who wanted to utilise a lane on the existing Harbour Bridge.
David Parker told Breakfast that "no single government" could finish the multiple projects involved. (Source: Breakfast)
A poll later found 81% of Kiwis were opposed to the proposal.
Four months later, the proposal was unceremoniously dropped after Wood said he had "listened and acted" to public feedback.
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