Airport to Botany Rapid Transit
Providing improved transport choice and journey times for south and east Aucklanders, including to and from Auckland Airport.
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The Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit project will provide a fast, frequent and reliable public transport option between Auckland Airport, Manukau and Botany.
Project overview
The Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit project will deliver a new public transport route between the Auckland Airport, Manukau and Botany. It will improve accessibility in the southern and eastern areas of Auckland. It will also provide an important link in the rapid transit network, with connections to the rail network at Puhinui and Manukau stations and the Eastern Busway at a new Botany interchange.
This project will improve transport choice and journey times making travel on public transport to social, residential and commercial centres in the area easier and more reliable. A good public transport network helps cities evolve by providing better connections and improved accessibility. Affordable and efficient public transport has major economic, social and environmental benefits.
Te Ākitai Waiohua, Auckland Transport, the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland International Airport Limited (Auckland Airport) are working together to deliver the Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit project, which is part of the Southwest Gateway Programme.
Project benefits
The Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit Project will improve access between the southern and eastern areas of Auckland by:
- improving travel choices and journey times for people in south and east Auckland, with a reliable 35 to 40 minute journey time between Auckland Airport and Botany
- providing a 18km congestion-free rapid transit corridor with high-capacity services
- improving walking and cycling connections between Auckland Airport, Puhinui Station interchange, Manukau and Botany, with 18km of new facilities
- providing an important connection in the rapid transit network, connecting to the rail network at Puhinui station and Manukau, and the Eastern Busway at a new Botany interchange
- improving access to major employment centres, including Auckland Airport and Manukau
- supporting growth opportunities along the route - as well as for the wider south and east Auckland area.
Project Details
The rapid transit route
The bus rapid transit route will travel from Auckland Airport, along State Highway 20B and Puhinui Road to a further upgraded Puhinui Station interchange.
From here, the rapid transit corridor continues along Puhinui Road and Lambie Drive and through the Manukau centre via Manukau Station Road, Davies Avenue and Ronwood Avenue.
It then travels via Great South Road and Te Irirangi Drive to a new high-quality interchange at Botany, where it will connect with the Eastern Busway.
The project includes:
- an upgrade of Te Irirangi Drive, Great South Road, Ronwood Avenue, Davies Avenue, Manukau Station Road, Lambie Drive and Puhinui Road to accommodate centre-running BRT lanes, general traffic lanes and walking and cycling facilities
- an upgrade of Cambridge Terrace, Bridge Street and Kenderdine Road to provide for walking and cycling facilities
- a new BRT bridge at Puhinui Station, crossing the North Island Main Trunk line
- an extension of Puhinui Road to accommodate BRT lanes that are centre-running to Manukau Memorial Gardens, then south running to Orrs Road - general traffic lanes and walking and cycling facilities
- associated works including but not limited to intersections, bridges, embankments, retaining walls, culverts, stormwater management systems
- changes to local roads, where the proposed work intersects with local roads.
- construction activities, including vegetation removal, construction areas and the re-grading of driveways.
Rapid Transit Stations
New and upgraded major station interchanges will be implemented in Puhinui and Botany to support the new rapid transit line, as well as bus rapid transit stations along the route.
The stations along the route will provide easy transfers between Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit services and over 30 local bus routes, two heavy rail and two other rapid transit lines. They will be built in locations that are close to town centres, employment hubs and residential areas.
Puhinui Station Stage 2
Stage 1 of Puhinui Station has already been constructed as part of Stage 1 Early Improvements in 2021. It will be further upgraded as part of Airport to Botany to provide a rapid transit bridge over the rail line that will connect to the northern façade of the station, allowing easy connections for customers transferring to and from rail services. This will remove the need to detour bus rapid transit services around Bridge Street.
The station building has already been future proofed to enable the planned stage 2 station upgrade.
Manukau City Centre Stations
Two new rapid transit stations in Manukau on Davies Avenue and Ronwood Avenue will improve access to planned town centre developments, offices, housing and schools, encouraging economic growth and urban regeneration. Davies Avenue Station will connect with the existing Manukau Train and Bus Station.
Route protection status and designation conditions
Notices of Requirement were submitted to Auckland Council in 2023 to protect the land needed by Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi for the project.
Appeals Period: Notice of Requirement (NoRs) for NoR 2 Rongomai Park to Puhinui Station
NoR 2: Rongomai Park to Puhinui Station (in the vicinity of Plunket Avenue) is currently in the appeals period.
Full information about the Notice of Requirement (NoR) is available to view on Auckland Council’s website.
- View NoR 2: Bus Rapid Transit–Rongomai Park to Puhinui Station in the vicinity of Plunket Avenue (opens in new tab)
- View all relevant documents from the public hearings (opens in a new tab).
Submitters had 15 working days in which they could appeal to the Environment Court, against the whole or any part of the decision from AT. Appeals are under Section 174 of the Resource Management Act 1991.
During this process AT works together with appellants to come to a resolution. If both parties can't resolve the appeal independently, the Environment Court can appoint a mediator to facilitate the conversation. If a resolution can't be reached through court assisted mediation, then an Environment Court hearing will take place, and the Environment Court will issue a decision on the outcome.
Confirmed Designations
The following corridors are confirmed and operative in the Auckland Unitary Plan with conditions.
Designation 1852 (was NoR 1)
Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit – Botany to Rongomai Park
Designation 1842 (was NoR 3)
Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit – Puhinui Station to SH20/20B Interchange
Designation 1843 (was NoR 4)
Airport to Botany Bus Rapid Transit – SH20/20B Interchange to Orrs Road
Alternatively, you can view the conditions in Chapter K of the Unitary Plan (opens in a new tab)
Project resources
Download key documents relating to Airport to Botany Rapid Transit and 20Connect: