<P> Completed in April 1959, three weeks ahead of schedule, the bridge was officially opened on 30 May 1959 by the Governor - General Lord Cobham . An open day had been held, when 106,000 people had walked across . </P> <P> Either three or four men had been killed by accidents during construction, and the names of three of them are recorded on a memorial plaque underneath the bridge at the Northcote end . </P> <P> Paid for by government - backed loans, the bridge started out as a toll bridge, the first one in New Zealand, with toll booths at the northern end for north - bound and south - bound traffic . Tolls were originally 2 / 6 (2 shillings and six pence: approximately $5.46 in 2014) per car but were reduced to 2 / - (2 shillings: approximately $4.27 in 2014) after 15 months of operation . The toll remained at 2 shillings until New Zealand changed to decimal currency in July 1967, when that amount became 20 cents in the conversion . Tolls were increased in 1980 from 20 to 25 cents (approximately $1.17 in 2014) by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, and this contributed to the National Party's loss of the 1980 by - election in the East Coast Bays electorate . Tolling was later made north - bound only before being discontinued on 30 March 1984, and the booths were removed . This was in line with political commitments that tolls would be charged only until construction costs were paid off . </P> <P> Some critics have alleged that the routing of State Highway 1 over the bridge was motivated by the need to create toll revenue, and led to a decades - long delay on finishing the Western Ring Route around Auckland, significantly contributing to the need for a massive motorway through the city centre of Auckland and severely damaging inner - city suburbs such as Freemans Bay and Grafton . </P>

Is there a toll on the auckland harbour bridge