Transport: moving stories

from Design and Build Franklin 2022-2023

Kitchen lighting

Pukekohe station prior to renovation work

From ancient Egypt to modern Franklin, transport routes have always formed an essential part of where people choose to build their homes. Over the past year, various transport projects (including those mentioned below) have been underway or reached their destination.

RAIL TAILS: WORKS ‘STATIONARY’

Commuters expecting to hop on a train at Pukekohe station are in for a long wait – until 2024 at least. Diesel trains have ceased rolling between Pukekohe and Papakura, however work to electrify the line is set to ensure faster services are ‘on the line’ in future.

Although Auckland began ‘going electric’ in 2015, it wasn’t until August 2022 that work to electrify lines connecting the network’s southern-most stretch began. All going well, this section is expected to be operational again from late 2024. Until then, Auckland Transport is extending the 394 bus service as a replacement. In addition, buses will replace trains on the southern and eastern sections of the network from early 2023 with wider improvements across the board expected to increase services.

Redevelopment of the Pukekohe station also underway, and three new stations are being added locally: Paerata, Drury and Ngakoroa (located in western Drury West).

GLENBROOK ROUNDABOUT: PLANS FULL CIRCLE

Politicians may often be accused of giving the public the ‘run around’, however Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, was (ironically) straight to the point with comments concerning the opening of the Glenbrook roundabout.

“The roundabout is a future-proofing project and is expected to be used by more than 21,000 vehicles a day,” he said. “It has also made this route significantly safer, by reducing speed and eliminating a dangerous turn that large trucks previously had to navigate on the former SH22/Glenbrook Road intersection.”

Weighing in at $16.9 million, construction of the roundabout took place from March 2021 until May 2022.

Previously one of the main routes connecting Pukekohe with Auckland, State Highway 22 has experienced steady growth in traffic, especially since the first residents settled into the Paerata Rise housing development in 2017. The NZ Transport Association (Waka Kotahi) estimates up to 25,000 vehicles a day use SH22 with traffic increasing as the local population grows.

Fortunately, the Glenbrook roundabout is not the only roading improvement on the agenda for SH22, with median barriers and lane widening also planned by NZTA.

“We’re expecting significant urban development in the area – from Drury and the Southern Motorway as far south as Pukekohe,” Mr Wood added. “To support future growth, government is working with Auckland Transport on planning staged upgrades along SH22 to improve safety, provide walking and cycling connections and better access for public transport, freight and general traffic to support current and future residents.”

GREATER SOUTH ROADS

Linking two of New Zealand’s largest cities, completion of the Waikato Expressway is a ‘milestone moment’, Michael Wood, believes.

“This road connects Auckland to the agriculture and business centres of the Waikato and will improve economic growth and productivity in the region. This is one of the country’s best roads.”

Mr Wood’s comments came at the opening of the Hamilton stage of the expressway in July 2022; work on the earliest sections began in the 1990s.

“The full 102km Waikato Expressway will reduce travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes for approximately 20,000 vehicles a day,” the Minister of Transport added. “It’s terrific to see the last 22-kilometre piece of the Expressway falling into place.”

Linking with the Waikato Expressway, upgrades to widen the Southern Motorway (to three lanes in each direction) between Papakura and Drury are also underway with a new bridge open to traffic since June 2022.

SPEED: LIMIT REDUCTIONS OR ‘LIMIT’ REDUCTIONS?

Lower speed limits on local roads (both proposed and already implemented) have been met with ire from Franklin Ward Councillor, Andy Baker.

“We are concerned that an urban lens is being put on speed limits when many of our roads are rural,” he said in mid-2022, while serving as Franklin Local Board chair. “Speed changes shouldn’t be made without visits to roads, because making decisions based on desktop analysis isn’t enough.”

While the local board is backing moves to reduce speed limits outside schools across Franklin to 40kph, Auckland Council needs to stop, look and listen before reducing limits on rural roads under its ‘Vision Zero’ speed management plan, Mr Baker believes.

“Part of our feedback has been that no limit should be reduced by more than

20km/h without consideration of other safety measures like re-engineering, maintenance solutions, or without local demand demonstrated via consultation.

“Auckland is a varied region with both urban and rural considerations. Government’s requirement might envisage generic principles, but we would urge Auckland Transport to take a balanced, and potentially bespoke, approach.”

DRURY: ROUTE SOLUTIONS

While Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport) forges ahead with planned improvements to arterial roads in the Drury area, developers have been picking up the pace as a number of pathways take shape.

“The next stage of construction will see the milestone completion of new transport infrastructure for thousands of residents in the Drury area,” Drury South Crossing CEO, Stephen Hughes, confirmed. “It will provide safe access for children wanting to walk or cycle to school, as well as allowing commuters to use a range of modes of transport and connect with public transport networks in Drury Village to make their way further north for work or study.”

When complete, the network will provide a major route from north to south, with access to 90ha of public recreation areas including 17km of walking and cycling pathways. The final stage of the multi-million-dollar network is expected to be completed in March 2023.

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