Auckland mayor Phil Goff says a $14m road upgrade starting this week is an important step forward in rapid transit to the airport.
Photo: Auckland Transport / Screengrab
Construction is beginning on a $14 million upgrade on Puhinui Road and Lambie Drive for a new AirportLink bus service.
New bus lanes are intended to make possible 10-minute bus rides from the new Puhinui Station Interchange to Auckland Airport.
Goff said the upgrades will also include cyle lanes and pedestrian improvements and will be completed by May next year.
"It's part of a 21st century public transit system around the city.
"What Puhinui will then connect up to is a rapid busway through to Botany, joining up to the new eastern busway that's currently being constructed between Panmure and Pakuranga and then on to Botany so you'll be able to do that round trip through east Auckland, and connect also by rail from the central city and from the South of Auckland.
"All of this is designed so we can cope with the growth and the congestion problem in Auckland.
"It's part of a 21st century public transit system around the city" - Mayor Phil Goff
"God knows this work is stuff that should have been done a decade ago - we're doing a big catch-up push at the moment."
The new AirportLink service is to run on electric buses every 10 minutes from 4.30am - 12.40am, seven days, with the new bus lanes operating from 6am - 7pm every day.
Auckland Council says travelling to Auckland Airport from the Puhinui Station Interchange will take 10-12 minutes, with a 25-minute journey from Manukau to the airport via Puhinui, and 45 minutes from Britomart.