The board of inquiry's decided by a 3 to 1 majority to turn down New Zealand Transport Agency's  application to build a 265m-long bridge designed separate traffic flows at Basin Reserve, which is currently a large roundabout with signals.

The proposal had been referred to the board of inquiry by the minister for the environment in July 2013. Earlier this year, the board conducted a hearing that ran for 72 sitting days, over a four month period. A total of 215 submissions were received, and evidence was heard from 69 witnesses and representations by a further 74 submitters.

The applicant and other parties now have 20 days to make comments on minor or technical aspects of the report before the board provides its final decision to the EPA by 30 August 2014.

Plans for the scheme had been announced in 2012 (link opens in new tab).