Street Stories 5: the realignment of Maioro Street, 2008

Maioro Street has almost always been a busy road in my 45 years of existence here in Avondale and on this earth. It directly connects traffic from Boundary/New Windsor/Tiverton Roads with that from Richardson Road, one of Auckland's main arterial routes. Before 1932, this was simply East Road because, well, it headed east.

Today, I walked to visit a friend who lives off Richardson Road, and traversed the rocky battleground of Maioro Street's 2008 facelift and realignment. Maioro is no longer rifle-barrel straight, leading to and from Richardson. From now on, it has a kink, at the eastern end, designed to meet the upcoming State Highway 20 on/off ramps, and the planned tunnel through to the North-Western motorway.

I took this photo right where Maioro Street used to be. Before this year, I'd have been run over taking a shot from that angle. No more -- I was on the beginnings of a new footpath.

This is what remains of the Christ the King school and church. Steadily, carefully, it is being demolished, to be rebuilt/replaced by a new building further along Richardson Road to the north, after land deal arrangements with Transit NZ. The new motorway was a bit too close for comfort, and a chunk of the parish's land was required for the new road.

Update and correction (8 January 2009): No, the above is the southern half of the new complex. The crucifix sculpture, with a twin at the other (northern) end is complete, but they're still working on this bit.