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Project background
What are the changes?
Construction information
Artists impression of the completed project. People crossing the road, walking down the street and biking along the bike lane.

Project background

Karangahape Road is one of Auckland’s most vibrant, diverse, and creative neighbourhoods where you can find an amazing mix of hospitality and independent retailers.  

When the City Rail Link (CRL) opens, it will be even easier for people to get to and from the Karangahape neighbourhood from south, east and west Auckland. We expect to see up to 40,000 people using the Karanga-a-Hape Station entrances in Beresford Square and Mercury Lane every day.

With these transport improvements in mind, we consulted with the Karangahape community and its many visitors on how the areas around the two Karanga-a-Hape Station entrances could be tied in with the already upgraded parts of Karangahape Road, and the wider neighbourhood. Read the project consultation.

We also conducted three design workshops with community representatives. Download the community engagement summary (PDF 8MB).

The resulting design makes travelling and spending time in the neighbourhood safe and reliable whether you are living and working there, spending time there, or travelling through.

The design will:

  • make it easier, safer, and more intuitive and welcoming for people to move through the neighbourhood on foot, especially for people arriving and departing from the new Karanga-a-Hape Station entrances.
  • make it easier for people arriving in the neighbourhood by bike to connect to existing cycling facilities.
  • improve connections between buses and trains.

What are the changes?

Walking and cycling

We want to make sure that whatever mode of transport people choose to take, it will be safe and reliable. To improve accessibility for people walking and cycling we are making the following changes to the streetscape:

  • providing safe places for people to cross busy roads.
  • providing more space for the high volume of people expected when the station opens.
  • creating a new public space/pedestrian priority space on the upper section of Mercury Lane.
  • creating separated cycleways linking to existing cycling facilities on Pitt Street and Canada Street. 
  • adding lighting and CCTV surveillance to improve personal safety after dark on Mercury Lane and Cross Street. 

Link Alliance will also be making changes to Beresford Square.

Parking and loading

As there is limited space within the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct’s roads, we’ve reconsidered the location of parking spaces and loading zones. We are:

  • adding mobility parking spaces on Cross Street and Beresford Square.
  • creating pick-up and drop-off spaces on Canada Street, Cross Street and Beresford Square.
  • reviewing and adding loading zones on East Street, Canada Street and Beresford Square.
  • removing some on-street parking to accommodate loading zones, mobility parking, cycleways, and bus lanes. 

Bus improvements

The opening of the CRL and Karanga-a-Hape Station will transform the neighbourhood into a major transport hub, connecting buses and trains from many areas of Auckland. To allow bus services to provide quicker, more reliable journeys which makes them a more realistic transport option for many people, we are:

  • creating new bus lanes on Pitt St between Karangahape Road and Vincent Street.
  • putting bus stops outside the Beresford Square station entrance on the western side of Pitt Street.

Construction information

Construction will take place from June 2024 to October 2025.

The work will be completed before the CRL opens to avoid on-going disruption and take advantage of the current construction closures. 

We will co-ordinate construction with Link Alliance to minimise impacts on people and businesses. However, due to the constricted nature of the street, Mercury Lane will need to be closed during construction. Mercury Lane will remain open to people on foot, as well as for vehicles accessing adjacent private properties. Work in Pitt Street will allow traffic movements in both directions throughout construction.

Information for businesses and residents

Throughout the construction, AT and its contractor will:

  • ensure the construction site, and surrounding area, remains tidy, safe, accessible, and easy to navigate.
  • maintain a dialogue with affected businesses, residents and property owners on the progress and impacts of the construction and respond quickly to community feedback.
  • work with Link Alliance and local businesses to stage the work so that it considers other work that is currently underway or work that is due to be started during the construction period.
  • minimise, as much as possible, any disruption to normal services, such as rubbish removal and loading and servicing.
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