More than 1200 members of the public provided feedback for the proposed designs for the next stage of the Northern Corridor Improvements project.
The project aims to provide a new motorway connection to complete the Western Ring Route through a direct connection between the Northern Motorway (SH1) and an upgraded Upper Harbour Highway (SH18).
It will also improve local road links, an extension of the Northern Busway, and more than 5kms of proposed new walking and cycling paths.
The New Zealand Transport Agency is also working with Auckland Transport to propose a network of over 25kms of connecting paths from the surrounding suburbs.
Business owners and people from across Auckland either visited the information stands at six events, emailed, phoned or filled in our online feedback form.
NZTA Highways Manager, Brett Gliddon says the public see the importance of the Northern Corridor for helping them get around Auckland.
“People were interested to hear that this new connection would provide them with the ability to travel from the North Shore all the way to and from the airport without leaving the motorway,” says Gliddon.
“Or they could travel a second way through the region by circling around the city and connect back up with SH1 in Manukau,” he says.
Gliddon says when work is complete on the connection and other motorway projects, Auckland will have a ring route in place such as many global cities do.
While the feedback is still being compiled, there were clear themes including support for the Northern Busway extension and the value to the freight industry.
There was strong recognition that the Northern Busway extension would help improve bus service speed and reliability but also reduce motorway congestion further.
A majority supported the idea of an additional bus station being considered as part of the extension, and many people talked about the importance of car parking at the stations.
There was support for the suggested local road changes around Upper Harbour Highway.
The Transport Agency is proposing either building bridges over or underpasses under the motorway or realigning local roads, to ensure the community retains its local road connectivity and is not severed by the new motorway upgrade.
The community could see why they were necessary from a safety perspective, and how the plans would also help reduce congestion on local roads.
The feedback will be analysed along with ongoing geotechnical work, traffic modelling, environmental investigations and property costs to inform the final design plans put forward in the project’s Detailed Business Case (DBC).
This analysis will be completed by the end of the year, with construction planned from 2018.
For more information on the Northern Corridor Improvements project visit nzta.govt.nz.
