Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick has entered the engineering and transport arena, revealing an Auckland harbour crossing concept connecting Eden Park and North Harbour Stadium, bringing a new dimension to the fabled ‘Battle of the Bridge’ between the NPC rivals.
“From the bustling streets of Newmarket, to the slopes of Remuera, Auckland is my home and I want to give something back,” said the TV pundit. “My bridge will connect Aucklanders through two things they love most - cars and rugby.”
The ground breaking design incorporates five lanes of traffic each way, reaching an apex of 130 metres above ground somewhere around Glenfield.
“I mean, it wouldn’t just be for Auckland v North Harbour rugby matches that happen once, maybe twice a year,” explained Fitzpatrick. “Say you lived in Sandringham and worked in Rosedale, this would be ideal. We’re exploring exits to the Northcote Tavern and maybe Kohimarama. Or if you wanted to go to St Lukes and Westfield Albany in the same day. Gamechanger.”
Fitzpatrick’s concept has been met with varying levels of enthusiasm from the sporting and public transport communities, querying everything from its effect on Auckland’s skyline to whether the former All Black hooker had even been to North Harbour stadium lately. Fitzpatrick’s proposal to fund the project through naming rights deals with Barkers and Steinlager were labelled ‘insane’ and ‘lolololololooool.’
Thanks for reading - Richard
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