Auckland's North Shore busway project stalled

By BERNARD ORSMAN

A fast journey from the North Shore into Auckland on the country's first busway faces another setback, says North Shore Mayor George Wood.

He says new conditions imposed on the $187 million North Shore busway are so murky that he has no idea what is required to get the project moving.

The busway is one of six major transport projects that face new conditions from Transfund before they can be considered for funding.

This followed a review of the projects against the new Land Transport Management Act.

North Shore residents were promised a two-lane dedicated busway by this year but Transit, in conjunction with North Shore City, the Auckland Regional Council and Auckland City Council, have failed to meet the deadline. The only sign of progress is earthworks on two bus stations with parking for 750 cars at Albany and Constellation Drive.

The North Shore busway comprises 8.5km of bus lanes from Constellation Drive to the Esmonde Rd interchange and a single bus priority lane from Esmonde Rd interchange to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Five new bus stations with park-and-ride facilities will be built at Albany, Constellation Drive, Sunnynook Rd, Westlake and Akoranga.

Mr Wood said yesterday that the council had been gullible in thinking the review of major transport projects would not hold up the North Shore busway.

Conditions that the busway should be accompanied by timely development of bus stations and feeder bus services were "murky" and would continue delaying the project, he said. "It has taken us nearly two years to get through the resource consent process."

Transit NZ chief executive Robin Dunlop said that as well as the conditions imposed by Transfund, which were being addressed, other matters such as design work and land needed to be sorted out before the busway would be ready to go.

Dr Dunlop said a start would not be made before the end of the year "at the earliest". He said Transit was focused on making a start to the Esmonde Rd interchange in the first quarter of the year.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks has said conditions put on the State Highway 20 Mt Roskill extension would set the project back by "at the very least another six months".

Transfund has said that the six $20 million-plus projects will remain possible for funding in the 2003-2004 financial year.

Other projects likely to be hit by delays are the Mangatawhiri deviation in the Waikato and the Hewletts Rd flyover in Tauranga.