Minister of Transport Simeon Brown visiting the site of William Robert's Road, the latest completion in the Eastern Busway project. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
Auckland Transport officials have assured East Aucklanders that progress on the Eastern Busway will bring relief to their traffic frustration.
Officials were keen to showcase the project's latest milestone of a new road during a site visit with the Minister of Transport on Friday.
The busway has been under threat since the axeing of the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax - and while it is still unclear whether the final stage will be completed, work is soon to start on the long-awaited flyover.
Executives donned hard hats and steel-caps and stepped onto brand new tarmac during the site visit.
The William Roberts Road extension will open to the public soon, offering a new route bypassing Pakuranga Plaza to the Eastern Motorway.
Alliance Construction manager Andy Gibbard said crews have been working hard to make progress.
"The project's now approaching a million man hours, in terms of the delivery and in terms of the design, which is a significant milestone for us coming up next month."
The new road was needed for traffic management, as the project will soon close the busy route of Reeves Road to begin construction on the flyover.
Minister for Transport and MP for Pakūranga Simeon Brown was particularly excited.
"We've been fighting for that flyover for a very long time here in East Auckland.
"It's going to make a huge difference not only to unlocking the ability for traffic to move through Pakuranga, but also it unlocks the ability for the busway to be able to operate underneath. So really it's the key enabler for the entire eastern busway project," he said.
Eastern Busway progress to bring relief of traffic frustration
Gibbard said construction on the flyover will start later this month, with a deadline to be finished by 2026.
"You can see it in the distance just up there - the 135 tonne crane, and just off it up there the piling rig. We're all set up ready to go."
The site of William Robert's Road, the latest completion in the Eastern Busway project. Photo: RNZ / Maia Ingoe
Auckland Transport's group manager for strategic projects and property Jane Small said the project will ease East Auckland's traffic woes.
"It will be transformational for traffic. Particularly vehicle traffic in the Pakuranga area, as it will free up a lot of road space underneath for buses."
Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton said it had been a sought-after investment for East Auckland.
He said Auckland has well and truly hit "March madness", with more cars hitting the road and public transport getting busier.
"When it comes to having a live Eastern Busway operating, we know that's going to take pressure of the roads, and give people a choice around how they can move. The important thing there, is if we can use public transport, we leave the roads free for those who need it."
Auckland Transport was planning on building cycleways and walkways to connect Pakuranga to the busway - once it has the budget, he said.
The busway project has been a priority for Simeon Brown, who has directed the last of the Auckland Fuel Tax funding should go towards paying for it and the City Rail Link.
"What we're not prioritising will be more cycle lanes, red light cameras, and bus lanes across the city which will be low value. We want to see major infrastructure prioritised from the remainder of those funds."
On Tuesday, Auckland Transport's board decided the second and third stages of the busway - including the flyover - will go under review, assign the costs of deferring, cancelling or reshaping the project.
Dean Kimpton said Auckland Transport's capital works programme will be under pressure without the fuel tax - but public transport investment will still be needed.
"This won't be the last major public transport investment, it can't be."
He said Auckland Transport and the coalition government were on the same page about Botany to airport investment and further northwest investment.
"These investments will continue. It might slow down a bit, because we've got funding challenges, but the direction of travel, it won't change and it can't."
For now, the focus for Auckland Transport was on finishing the Eastern Busway with the final dregs of funding from the Auckland Fuel Tax.