Airport alert — traffic delay
Auckland Airport is warning of disruption for motorists over the next two years as it starts a $100 million project to upgrade its roads. The widening of George Bolt Drive, the main road leading to the terminal area, and building of new roads in the network is scheduled to last until the middle of 2021.
Andre Lovatt, the airport’s general manager airport development and delivery, said the existing two lanes each way on the main road would be kept open but there was a risk of
disruption for the 95,000 drivers a day who use the roads.
“Anyone who drives around Auckland will know that where there’s roadworks traffic can be affected — the key thing is that there are two sealed lanes in either direction through the duration of the construction work,” he said.
The airport owns about 1500ha in its campus and it was paying for and managing the upgrade within that area.
Lovatt said it had discussed with contractor Downer the importance of working around the clock if necessary to get the job done as quickly as possible. “We want to make sure that 24-hour work is done on key parts of the project where we don’t have a situation where there’s a construction site impinging their journey without any progress.”
Roadworks near the airport in late 2016 led to traffic chaos and in some cases passengers and crew being late for planes although finished work since then has eased congestion.
Lovatt said there would be frequent advice to airport users on how to avoid disruption.
The widened George Bolt Drive would have more provision for bus lanes, but plans released this morning don’t have details of light rail which has been part of a government plan for the airport.
Lovatt said the airport was working with government agencies on rail but plans for light rail had not “bottomed out yet”.
Rail corridors leading to a terminus near the airport terminal had been set aside.
Passenger numbers are expected to more than double to 40 million a year by 2044.
It has been forecast the number of vehicle trips to and from the airport will increase to more than 127,000 per day in 2044.