Today we were lucky to join the crowds for a public walkthrough of the new Waterview Tunnel, opening soon in the Auckland suburbs of Waterview and Mount Albert.
This amazing piece of engineering completes the Western Ring Route Motorway through Auckland's west in a 5-kilometre-long stretch of road, half of it underground.
The tunnel was part of the inspiration for Malcolm Paterson's The Tunnel in our Backyard, and it is mentioned at the start of the book.
The kids in the book mention the giant digging machine, nicknamed Alice, that created the tunnel - before going on to explore the natural lava tunnels under Mt Albert and its vicinity.
The Tunnel in our Backyard was launched a year ago in a lava tunnel in Mount Eden.
Keeping this connection in mind, it seemed appropriate to take the book on the stroll into the Waterview Tunnel. The road connection is due to open very soon.
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| Entering the new man-made tunnel at Waterview - in a part of Auckland full of natural lava tunnels |
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| A busy road ahead for the Waterview Tunnel |
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