Ask Phoebe: AT working to minimise interchange congestion

Photo / Jason Dorday

I'm wondering what the plans are for the Walmsley Rd and Kaka St intersection when the Otahuhu Transport Interchange opens. Auckland Transport's plans show an exit from the transport interchange that will now join the Walmsley Rd, Saleyards Rd and Station Rd intersection, and that Station Rd will become a major bus route. At the moment, the traffic right-turning from Walmsley Rd into Kaka St can be backed up quite a long way down Saleyards Rd, and the queue of traffic exiting Kaka St into Walmsley can be very, very long. And soon there will be a new multi-storey office building opening, purging cars from their basement car park onto Saleyards Rd. How will this area cope with the new interchange and bus routes added as well without major changes?

- Rae Johnson, Auckland

Mark Hannan, media relations manager for Auckland Transport, advises that the Otahuhu Interchange project is part of a broader strategy to improve Auckland's public transport network.

The Otahuhu interchange site was selected as it provides the opportunity to connect the new bus network with the existing rail network via the existing Otahuhu Train Station. The primary function of the interchange is to facilitate the transfer of customers from bus to train and vice versa.

The interchange will affect the Saleyards/Walmsley/Station Rd intersection and the Walmsley Rd/Kaka St intersection. However, AT is working to minimise this impact by developing a design that caters for buses and drop-offs; no park-and-ride facilities will be provided on site.

Traffic modelling has also been done on traffic signal phasing options to target congestion, particularly for the right-turn movements into Kaka St and Station Rd.

Once this work is completed, traffic conditions around the interchange will be monitored and traffic management refined as required.

The use of the path in Victoria Park has increased greatly with the developments at Wynyard and Beaumont Quarters and will soon increase further with the occupation of three large office buildings in the Fanshawe St/Halsey St/Daldy St/Gaunt St block. This winter the path has been very wet and I'd suggest that it is now time to construct a permanent surface to make the area safe for all users.

- John Mead, Auckland

A spokeswoman for Auckland Council's parks department says the ranger has recently organised some additional mulch to facilitate the path's use as it had started getting a bit muddy. For the long term, council staff are looking into options for this frontage of Victoria Park and are planning to ensure it ties in with the developments at Beaumont Quarter across the road. As you point out, as this area is developed and as more offices open up, park usage will increase. Auckland Transport is looking at options for the bus stops, where the crossing is likely to be and other issues as the final designs for the area get finalised.

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