Work begins on North Shore bus stations

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Work starts today on North Shore City's $56 million plan to build five bus stations.

Transport Minister Paul Swain will officially launch work on two "park and ride" stations near the Northern Motorway at Albany and Constellation Drive.

Both stations are expected to open in a year but three "kiss and ride" stations - at Sunnynook, Westlake and Akoranga - will not open until mid 2006.

That is when a two-lane busway is to be built next to the Northern Motorway, to give buses a congestion-free run from Constellation Drive to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The Constellation Drive station will have 400 carparks and Albany 350. Both will have safe storage for bicycles.