Fixing the congestion around Auckland Airport is the focus of a new task force including the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), Auckland Transport (AT) and Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL).
The area is a key airfreight and logistics hub for the automotive and heavy transport industry.
Mercedes-Benz NZ, European Motor Distributors, and Fuso NZ all have distribution centres located within the airport precinct.
NZTA, AT, and AIAL all want to improve travel times and congestion on the roads and state highways to, from and around Auckland Airport.
“The roads in and around the airport don’t work in isolation, they are all part of one transport network and the response to the traffic growth in the area needs to consider the entire network,” says NZTA chief executive Fergus Gammie.
Finding a network-based solution that improves travel times is essential given Auckland Airport’s important role connecting Auckland with the rest of New Zealand and the world, and South Auckland’s increasing importance as a key business district,” says Gammie.
The task force also wants to review the timing of other projects already planned to improve the performance of the transport network.
A combination of higher than expected traffic volumes, wet weather, incidents and road improvement projects created delays in the area.
Last Thursday Auckland’s transport network experienced significant performance issues.
The task force has agreed to accelerate many planned initiatives, including changes to lane configurations at the State Highway 20B (Puhinui Rd) / State Highway 20 interchange before Christmas to increase traffic flows through the intersection.
The Auckland Transport operations centre will optimise traffic signals to increase traffic flows at peak times on the state highways and airport roads, and publish additional airport-specific travel time information.
There will changes to lane configurations on George Bolt Memorial Drive / Tom Pearce Drive to improve traffic flows to both airport terminals.
There will also be changes to lane configurations on George Bolt Memorial Drive / Laurence Stevens Drive roundabout to improve traffic flows to the domestic terminal.
The three parties are deploying special temporary traffic management plans on Auckland Airport’s roads to increase the network’s resilience.
Drivers and airport workers are advised to check the NZ Transport Agency website for travel time information, before travelling to the airport, and motorists are being encouraged not to use the airport as a bypass to connect to their destinations.
