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By Simeon Brown, Member of Parliament for Pakuranga The recent opening of the Reeves Road Flyover was welcome news for the east Auckland community, who’d been waiting for this project for several decades. It’s had an immediate impact, with travel times in the morning significantly improved, and feedback from drivers indicating shorter and easier journeys to work and school. However, it’s clear the new intersection with Pakuranga Road isn’t working during the evening peak with longer travel times than normal, in some cases negating the gains made in the morning. Last week, I met with the Eastern Busway Alliance (EBA) alongside councillor Maurice Williamson and Howick Local Board chair Bruce Kendall, to discuss the congestion issues we’ve been observing and raise possible solutions. I’ve also written to the chief executive of Auckland Transport (AT). At that meeting it was agreed something needs to change, and the Alliance have committed to investigating several possible solutions in addition to the work they were already doing to try and improve congestion. The main proposal I know many of you have been asking for is the return of a third eastbound lane that goes straight through the intersection towards Howick, which would improve the efficiency of the intersection. The reason this wasn’t initially included in the design of the intersection was to accommodate both the right-turn lane onto the Flyover from Pakuranga Road, and a future cycle lane along that section of road. This cycle lane removes one lane from Pakuranga Road between Ti Rakau Drive and the Flyover, and I’ve made it clear to the Alliance and AT it isn’t needed or justified, particularly at the expense of a third lane for general traffic. Currently, the right-turn lane must remain while work is done at the old Ti Rakau Drive/Reeves Road intersection, where the turn onto the South Eastern Highway is closed until after Christmas. Once this work is completed, the right-turn lane onto the Flyover from Pakuranga Road should no longer be needed, as traffic from the direction of Panmure can turn onto Ti Rakau Drive and use the turn from there. I’ve also expressed my concern with the general design of the Flyover/Pakuranga Road intersection, which results in a sharp corner for traffic heading towards Howick, forcing vehicles to slow down and further exacerbating congestion. Cancelling the planned cycle lane, and returning a third lane to Pakuranga Road heading towards Howick, should alleviate the congestion issues we’ve been seeing and make the intersection more efficient. I’ll continue to advocate to the EBA and AT for urgent action on these issues and will keep the community informed.
