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Auckland Transport (AT) says commuters travelling via “one of New Zealand’s busiest intersections” can now see the new flyover being built above them.
The public roading infrastructure, originally known as the Reeves Road Flyover and now named Rā Hihi – meaning sun’s rays, “will help nearly halve congestion, making car and bus trips quicker and easier as part of AT’s Eastern Busway project”, it says.
Work began in March last year on the flyover which is under construction near Pakūranga town centre.
“It now spans Tī Rākau Drive at the busy South-Eastern Highway intersection, after a three-night operation to install eight large concrete beams using one of the country’s largest mobile cranes,” AT says.
Once fully completed, AT says Rā Hihi will directly connect Pakūranga Road with the South-Eastern Highway, making the extension of the Eastern Busway from Pakūranga towards Botany, “and a shared path, possible”.
“Together this is expected to reduce traffic congestion at Pakūranga town centre by up to 40 per cent during peak times.”
Howick Local Board chair Damian Light says: “Rā Hihi comes closer to completion with every week that goes by and it’s something the community is really looking forward to ahead of the Eastern Busway opening.
“Rā Hihi will make getting around much easier for everyone, not just for those who will drive over it, but for the thousands of us that’ll go under it every day on a bus, bike, or on foot.”
Jane Small, AT’s strategic development programmes and property group manager, says the Tī Rākau Drive-South-Eastern Highway intersection sees more than 60,000 vehicles and 280 buses travelling through it each weekday, making it one of the busiest in the country.
“It has been a frustrating chokepoint for east Aucklanders,” says Small.
“Rā Hihi will bring benefits to drivers as well as public transport users, whose bus trips will be faster and more reliable as a result of reduced congestion.
“It’s a critical part of the Eastern Busway project that’s connecting east Auckland with rapid public transport to the rest of the city and providing better local travel options which the community has been asking for.”
The Eastern Busway is an important piece in the rapid transit network AT is continuing to build to give Aucklanders quick, easy and direct public transport connecting across the city, it says.
“The first section of the Eastern Busway connecting Pakūranga town centre with Panmure Train Station opened in 2021, where a bus ride takes five to 10 minutes and is fully separated from other traffic.
“The next section is being built and will continue from Pakūranga towards Botany, adding an additional 5km of separated busway and 12km of walking and cycling routes when it’s fully completed.
“It will unlock more ways to travel locally and provide faster, more direct connections to the rest of the city,” says AT.
Howick ward councillor and AT director Maurice Williamson says: “The community has been telling AT to do something about the congestion in this part of Auckland.
“It’s great AT has listened and is making good progress on this vital new connection which will do wonders for keeping the roads moving and the buses running on time.”
