The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says no decisions have yet been made regarding a Waitemata Harbour crossing which would connect downtown Auckland with the North Shore.
It comes after lobby groups said NZTA was looking at building two-three lane vehicle tunnels under the harbour, at a cost of $4 billion.
The Transport Blog's Patrick Reynolds told RadioLIVE, he was worried if this was the case, the Government would be breaching the Paris climate deal by increasing emissions.
"The Government signed an agreement in Paris to not just limit carbon emissions but actively reduce them and frankly building a huge traffic-inducing motorway, they really can't do it if they're going to honour that agreement."
The NZTA however refutes this as speculation and says claims a decision has been made on the future route are misleading and incorrect.
"The NZTA and Auckland Transport are currently working to protect a future route for an additional Waitemata Harbour crossing. While we don't yet know when it will be required and precisely what form it will take, it is important that we protect and keep future options open in a rapidly growing region."
It says it's currently working with consultants towards preparing Notices of Requirement, which would designate the land required to create a crossing.
As part of this, they are looking at routes which could entail public transport options like rail.
According to the NZTA, a tunnel could be a viable option because it would offer opportunity for emissions to be captured and managed.
3 News/ RadioLIVE
