Auckland Transport (AT) is delivering 1.6km of bus, safety, walking and cycling improvements along Great North Road, between Ponsonby Road and Crummer Road which will help move more Aucklanders along one of Auckland’s most iconic roads.

The changes will include safer crossings and intersections, a protected cycleway, extended bus lanes, longer loading zones for large vehicles (including car transporters), and more trees and landscaping.

Construction will take place from late 2022 till late 2023. Before major construction begins preparatory work is planned from August which will involve some minor work getting underway on the street.

AT’s Integrated Corridors Programme Director, Matthew Rednall says this project is the first step in a larger programme which is reimagining many of Auckland’s main roads to ensure they can keep more Aucklanders moving and meet the needs of people travelling by bus, bike, on foot, or in cars.

“Previously, AT oftenmade changes, such asbetter bus services,as isolated projects. With thisproject and into the future wewill belooking tomake improvements to all aspects of the streetat one time.”

Great North Road is one of Auckland’s iconic roads, carrying large numbers of people in and out of the City Centre. The area is changing, with more residential apartments being constructed. Around the project’s section of Great North Road, the population is expected to grow by approximately 24% by 2031.

Matthew Rednall says the improvements support Great North Road’s mix of commercial, industrial, and increasingly residential use.

“These changes will make accessing Great North Road safer and easier, whether by foot, bike, bus, or car,” he says.

AT’s Manager of Active Modes Planning, Courtney Groundwater says the 1.6km of new protected cycleways will connect the area to the rest of Auckland’s cycleway network.

“For people thinking about jumping on a bike in the area, this stretch of road is going to be a big draw card. It links with the city centre cycle loop on Karangahape Road, meaning a safe, protected ride in from Grey Lynn to all corners of the city centre.”

The changes on Great North Road are part of a range of upgrades in the inner west, creating protected cycleways that will link Point Chevalier, Westmere, Grey Lynn to the city centre and beyond” she says

Great North Road will be a greener street, with around 60 native trees and landscaping replacing 23 trees being removed to accommodate the new street design.

Click here to see a short video about this project.

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