The Government Minister overseeing delivery of east Auckland’s largest transport infrastructure project says he has no doubt it will be completed on time.
The Eastern Busway hit the headlines earlier this year when Auckland Council did not include funding for its final stage in its 10-year budget.
Mayor Wayne Brown has publicly expressed disappointment with the Government’s decision to axe the Auckland regional fuel tax and said the tax was helping to fund projects such as the Eastern Busway.
The busway’s final stage runs from Ti Rakau Drive Bridge in Pakuranga to Botany Town Centre.
It will go down Ti Rakau Drive, move left over a new bridge around the back of the Chinatown complex and onto Burswood Drive.
It then goes along the back of businesses in Torrens Road, continues past Bunnings onto Burswood Drive, and back out into Ti Rakau Drive.
Transport Minister and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown recently told the Times the good news is construction of the busway and associated Reeves Road Flyover are “going ahead at pace’.
“People can see the structure of the flyover coming out of the ground very quickly, which is fantastic to see.
“That project is on track for being completed and getting traffic on it in 2026.
“So that’s great news and it will make a huge difference to reducing congestion in east Auckland, particularly around Pakuranga Plaza.”
Despite what the mayor has said, construction on the busway will continue as planned, Brown says.
“You can see it’s under construction. He [Wayne Brown] threatened that the project would stop.
“We legislated to require the remaining funds from the regional fuel tax to go into completing that project, so we ring-fenced it.
“The crazy thing about the regional fuel tax is there was over $400 million of people’s petrol tax money that had not been spent.
“We ring-fenced that funding, so it’s going into completing the Eastern Busway, and a couple of other local roading projects, and buying new electric trains ready for the City Rail Link opening in 2026 as well.”
He says planning work is continuing on east Auckland’s second major transport infrastructure project, Botany to Auckland Airport rapid transit.
“That planning will be critical to identifying the end point [of the] Botany Town Centre station, and where that location will be.
“Both of those projects meet there so the planning for that project, and the location of that station and where it integrates with the Eastern Busway, is yet to be determined.
“Having that finalised will lead to that bus station and its location being determined and completed.”
