East-West Link aims to unclog Onehunga and Penrose
Following the outcry the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport have now pledged to instead work on improving connections for the bustling business area of Onehunga and Penrose.
Precisely how this will be done is yet to be worked out but Auckland Transport spokesman Rick Walden says efforts so far support ‘‘focusing our efforts to the north of Manukau Harbour’’.
‘‘This is likely to solve a number of transport-related issues in the economically significant area of Auckland,’’ Mr Walden says.
‘‘Our focus on the north side is the key priority for our two organisations for at least the next decade.’’
No new major road links will be built on the south side of the Manukau Harbour between state highways 1 and 20 ‘‘at this stage’’, although as the city grows infrastructure investment will be required in future.
‘‘This will be welcomed by communities in the south who have expressed concerns regarding the potential impacts of the East-West Link.’’
NZ Transport Agency acting Auckland highways manager Steve Mutton says improving freight access around Onehunga and Penrose will be an important component of improving and growing Auckland’s economy.
‘‘This area is Auckland’s industrial heartland employing some 60,000 people and grow.
‘‘Ensuring freight has safe and efficient connections to and from the state highways is a key priority for us.’’
He says improvements being considered for the area will provide better access for freight and commercial vehicles to the state highway network while keeping other road users safe.
‘‘Our studies show that many of the benefits can be realised without major road-
it continues to ing investments to the south side of the Manukau Harbour,’’ he says.
Further work is required to determine the preferred option and any likely impacts.
‘‘We’ll continue to work with our stakeholders and customers as these investigations progress to make sure we get the best possible solutions in place for local communities and Auckland as a whole,’’ Mr Mutton says.