Construction

A groundbreaking development is in progress in Pakūranga with the construction of a flyover that’s set to soar above Reeves Road and across Tī Rākau Drive. It’s an important part of the Eastern Busway project that will improve travel times and ease congestion in the area. Establishing this direct link between the South Eastern Highway and Pakūranga Road will help to reduce traffic along Pakūranga Road and Tī Rākau Drive, particularly during peak hours.

Pakūranga's new connection

The new intersection of Mattson Road, Tī Rākau Drive and William Roberts Road is now open. Drivers, pedestrians and wheel users can enter and exit William Roberts Road from all directions. The northern end of William Roberts Road between Pakūranga Road and Reeves Road is closed permanently. That will enable the new intersection to connect Pakūranga Road to Rā Hihi (flyover). The northern end of William Roberts Road can be accessed from Ayr Road. 

Several options to improve local traffic flow are being looked into by the project team and are here: 

• Trialing a free left turn from Pakūranga Road on to Tī Rākau Drive, including a zebra crossing in place of the existing signlised pedestrian crossing has been considered however this has potential safety implications and the potential for increased congestion during peak periods. 

• Increasing the number of lanes from two to three on Tī Rākau Drive between Pakūranga Road and Aylesbury Street to enable more traffic in each light phase to turn left and right from Pakūranga Road on to Tī Rākau Drive. 

• Continuing to enhance traffic signal operation. This includes changing the signalling of traffic lights from actuated to fixed timing to  better ensure improved coordination of the traffic signals between Pakūranga Road and the South Eastern Highway.

• Adjusting our construction approach to continue to explore ways for Cortina Place to remain open as often as possible.

• Creating a right turn from William Roberts Road on to Tī Rākau Drive earlier than planned. It will combine the realignment of Mattson Road into a single intersection.

• Completing the flyover above Reeves Road ahead of schedule to ensure a long term solution for traffic congestion on Pakūranga Road is delivered as soon as possible.

The project team has already put some measures in place to help reduce congestion on the local road network. We have: 

• Redesigned drainage into Pakūranga Plaza car park removing the need for lane closures on Pakūranga Road and Tī Rākau Drive

• Worked on the South Eastern Highway and Tī Rākau drive when traffic volumes were lowest during the Easter weekend, to minimise impacts on road users

• Adapted our approach to installing services on Tī Rākau Drive to ensure the road remained open in both directions while work took place. This avoided lane closures that were forecast to be in place from July this year.  

• Reduced night and weekend work in residential areas by planning our work together with utility providers

• Encouraged the community to use public transport by keeping bus stops open, installing new bus stop signage and placing digital displays at the corner of Mattson Road and Tī Rākau Drive to show realtime journey times by bus, bike and car. The number of passengers using the bus stops closest to Pakūranga Plaza is now the highest it has been since before the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020. 

The project timeline is a summary of the main activities on the project between now and 2027. See at a glance what’s in progress and what’s coming up in the next few years.

Construction will take place in stages starting in Pakūranga between Pakūranga Town Centre and the Tī Rākau Drive Bridge and will progress towards Botany. 

Above: Traffic staging on Ti Rākau Drive

Fact sheet

The alliance is delighted to become a Premium Plus sponsor of MATES in Construction, an organisation helping to reduce the lives lost to suicide in the construction industry.

Alliance project director Matt Zame says that the five organisations of the alliance have been affected by suicide and the ripples it causes.  "Suicide has a profound and lasting impact on the families, friends and colleagues of their lost loved ones. We’re keen to see change in the industry to ensure all of our people are safe and well. We’ve partnered with MATES to help achieve that change and to support our people to ask for help when they’re feeling low, as a regular part of life."

MATES is proud to be a part of the support team for the project looking after the alliance’s workers on site and in the project offices, too. We are stronger together.