Queues at Long Bay for two more years

The Long Bay park is Auckland's most popular and lures more than a million people a year. Picture / Greg Bowker

Queues of cars at the narrow entrance to the beach at Long Bay Regional Park are likely for two more summers until a new access road can be built.

The North Shore park is Auckland's most popular and lures more than a million people a year.

Years of pressure on Auckland Council to provide another entry peaked over the last New Year period when police were called in to manage traffic caused by up to 25,000 visitors a day. Patrons queued when gates opened at 6am to get a parking place and neighbouring streets were blocked.

By noon, a "one out, one in" system operated.

Last week, the council parks, sports and recreation committee was told a $1.5 million road for a second entrance further north inside the park was likely in 2015. Hibiscus Coast & Bays Local Board chairwoman Julia Parfitt said the new road would be built with help from housing developers Todd Property Group.

Soil from subdivision earthworks would be used to form the road platform across swampy land on the Vaughan Flats area of the park.

"It can't come soon enough, because it will take the main thrust of visitors' traffic away from stress on the local roading system, which has affected residents' access as well."

Long Bay is 26km from downtown Auckland and prized for its 1km-long beach, cliff-stop walkway, views of the Hauraki Gulf, safe swimming, playground, picnic spots and marine reserve.

Todd Property is building 2000 homes on the 160ha of hilly land behind the park and 20ha on the Awaruku Ridge, which has archaeological sites, will be protected and transferred to the council.