Auckland Airport spending $90m on new transport projects

Travellers at Auckland International Airport. Photo / Alex Burton

Road and parking projects put on hold during the pandemic at Auckland Airport are being restarted.

The three projects – Park & Ride South, Laurence Stevens Drive upgrades and Te Ara Kōrako Drive extension – will cost $90 million and will be completed by the end of this year.

Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the projects are focused on prioritising the journey of travellers, employees, crew and cargo who need to access the terminal and other infrastructure, so our system has the necessary capacity to enable travellers to get to their destinations safely, and on time.

To the north of the airport precinct, Auckland Airport is building a new road with the addition of Te Aro Kōrako Drive, connecting George Bolt Memorial Drive and Nixon Road.

“Te Ara Kōrako Drive was always part of our plans as we upgraded George Bolt Memorial Drive. It provides an alternative route for travellers leaving the international terminal and heading towards Manukau and the Southern Motorway, as well as freight moving around the precinct, which removes some of the traffic volume out of the main intersection in the heart of the airport,” said Hurihanganui.

Work will also restart this year on Park and Ride South, a 3000-plus parking facility alongside Puhinui Road, complete with EV charging facilities, a dedicated bus connection to and from both terminals, as well as a “kiss and go” pick-up/drop-off facility.

About 40 per cent of trafffc into the airport precinct comes from the south.

‘‘We know this will be a popular option for airport workers and travellers who would normally use our Park and Ride facility off Verissimo Drive. It’s going to save journey time, but also reduce flows of traffic through the precinct.”

There will also be upgrades to Laurence Stevens Drive, which will include the construction of a terminal bound T3 lane for buses, including the AirportLink that connects the Puhinui Station Interchange, and the Park & Ride South bus connection.

All three projects will be completed by the end of 2023.

“We chose to keep working on the more disruptive elements of our roading upgrades through the height of the pandemic. Now it’s time to complete some of the key components that will really boost the efficiency of the precinct roads.”