A $160 million upgrade of roads leading to Auckland Airport are almost complete.
Domestic travellers heading back to Auckland Airport next month will drive on $160 million of improvements to the roading network.
Infrastructure general manager Andre Lovatt said Auckland Airport had been working hard upgrading its core roading network, widening and creating new roads, adding high occupancy vehicle lanes, and improving pedestrian and cycle paths.
He said the quieter skies over the past 20 months had provided a window of opportunity to complete the major project with less inconvenience to road users.
"Our roads are usually some of the busiest in Auckland, so we've made the most of the drop-off in passenger numbers and flow-on effect on traffic volumes to get this project done, with the roads now ready to go for the restart of domestic travel from Auckland on December 15."
During the latest Auckland lockdown the number of passengers through the airport a day have at times been the same as the mid-1960s when it opened. Under alert level 3 domestic travel through Auckland is cut to essential workers or travellers who can get approval from health authorities. The Auckland borders open from December 14 and already 8000 seats have been sold out of the city on Air New Zealand on the first day of travel.
Lovatt said one of the biggest changes is a new road taking traffic away from the international terminal. Travellers will now exit the terminal via a one-way loop system aimed at moving traffic, including public transport connections, smoothly around past the international terminal before reconnecting into George Bolt Memorial Drive, the airport's roading gateway from the north.
The 800m terminal exit road will deliver big gains when passenger numbers return in force, by allowing traffic flows in and out of the terminals to work efficiently.
"Our roading network at the airport is about 40km in total and whether it's travellers catching a flight or cargo operators transporting goods, everyone using the roads at Auckland Airport is on a deadline and we need to make sure our network is robust, now and into the future," he said.
The International Terminal exit road shown in blue is part of the new network. Image / Supplied
Beginning in mid-2019, the now-completed upgrade to the airport's roading system integrates into the public transport improvements along SH20B, including the electric bus service connecting the upgraded Puhinui Station with the airport terminals every 10 minutes.
"The project has also focused on upgrading the infrastructure network below the ground. We now have a transport network ready to meet future demands, as well as our other important utility connections that support the around the clock operation of the airport."
Lovatt said the airport had continued to advance several other infrastructure projects during the pandemic, including a three-year programme of work renewing pavements on the airfield, renewal of the airfield fuel pipeline network and preparatory work towards a multistorey transport hub.
Work on the long-awaited new domestic area which is integrated into the international terminal is due to start early next year.
However, the extension of the international arrivals area and second runway have been deferred.
