Lincoln Road upgrade Lincoln Road upgrade
Auckland Transport (AT) is planning a major upgrade of Lincoln Road between Te Pai Place and the North Western Motorway (SH16).
Due to the budget restrictions, as a result of the Auckland Council emergency budget, the Lincoln Road Improvements project is currently on-hold due to no funding available. We are hopeful of securing funding mid next year, to proceed with detailed design. An update on the project will be made mid next year.
Lincoln Road is a major arterial connection for West Auckland and is a major component in the regional major roads network. It is also highly congested route.
The Regional Fuel Tax (RFT) will help redesign the poorly performing sectors to enable the road to perform to its potential. It will be future proofed with a T3 lane and cycle lanes and an improved motorway interchange.
Project status: Design.
Project zone: West.
Project overview
The proposed upgrade of Lincoln Road aims to:
- Widen the road.
- Install an off-road cycleway on both sides of the road.
- Upgrade existing intersections.
- Build a solid raised and planted median to replace the existing painted median.
- Upgrade traffic signals and implement stormwater treatments.
- Relocate and upgrade existing utility services.
- Integrate with the NZ Transport Agency's motorway interchange upgrade at Lincoln Road.
Benefits
- Increased capacity and reduced congestion.
- Improved traffic flow and travel times.
- Improved vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian safety.
- Improved infrastructure and minimised surface flooding.
Cost
The cost of the upgrade is $85 million. The project is to be jointly funded by NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and AT.
In June 2017, NZTA formally approved funding to meet 51% of the remaining $80m budgeted to complete property purchases, detailed design, and construction.
Timeline
- December 2013 to September 2014 - Consultation and feedback to submitters.
- October 2015 to May 2016 - Preliminary design. Technical report and drafting of notice of requirement (NoR) application.
- February 2016 to May 2016 - Project update with affected property owners/affected parties.
- May 2016 to December 2017 - NoR processes and land designation.
- July 2018 to end of 2019 - Re-examine overall concept to ensure it remains appropriate to the surrounding transport environment (after completion of Western Ring Route, Waterview Tunnels, Te Atatu Road upgrade, etc).
- 2020 - Detailed design.
All future dates (below) are indicative and to be confirmed. They are subject to availability of funds.
- July 2020 to June 2021 - Resource and building consent processes.
- July 2021 to March 2022 – Construction works procurement.
- April 2022 to October 2024 – Construction (physical works).
Project details
Lincoln Road is the busiest regional arterial road in west Auckland, used by 45,000 to 48,000 vehicles per day. It has a poor road safety record, with a total of 446 crashes recorded between 2008 and 2012 (crossing and turning collisions account for 36% of crashes).
Lincoln Road is identified in the Auckland Plan as a ‘growth corridor’, with expected growth in traffic volumes along the route generated by future developments. It is also a key feeder road for Auckland’s Western Ring Route.
The upgrade will give Lincoln Road the ability to accommodate predicted traffic growth and provide for the development of a neighbourhood bus interchange proposed near the motorway.
We used existing levels of congestion to determine the southern extent of the upgrade, as traffic south of Te Pai Place flows reasonably freely in peak periods.
View the proposed preliminary design plan (PDF 2.5MB)
Upgrade features
Additional transit lanes
A key feature of the upgrade is the widening of Lincoln Road and to include a transit lane or lanes for use by buses and high occupancy vehicles.
This will improve travel times for buses and other vehicles with 3 or more people and help reduce congestion along the existing traffic lanes.
Transit lanes are reserved for:
- Buses and taxis.
- Vehicles carrying no less than the number of persons specified on the transit lane signage (for example, T2 means there must be a minimum of two people in the vehicle, including the driver).
- Cycles, motorcycles and mopeds.
Transit lanes provide the best balance between improving congestion within the general traffic lanes while improving bus journey times. A transit lane is also intended to help encourage carpooling, further reducing the volume of cars on Lincoln Road.
Intersection improvements
Lincoln Road’s intersections with Triangle Road/Central Park Drive, Te Pai Place/Pomaria Road, and Universal Drive will be upgraded to reduce congestion and improve safety.
The improvements include:
- Upgraded traffic signals to provide more efficient traffic flow along the route.
- Additional bus and high-occupancy vehicle lanes on both sides to improve travel times for buses and help reduce congestion on the existing traffic lanes.
- Additional right-turn lanes on Central Park Drive and Triangle Road.
- Additional left-turn lane on Pomaria Road.
- New traffic signals at the entrance of the Lincoln North Shopping Centre on Universal Drive.
Improved cycling and walking facilities
Segregated cycling facility (off-road, Copenhagen style) will be installed on both sides of the road, providing improved access and isolation for both pedestrians and cyclists from each other and general traffic. This is part of a larger initiative by AT to upgrade Auckland’s cycle network.
Other improvements include advanced stop boxes (green cyclist-only stopping areas) at signalised intersections, raised speed tables (a wide speed hump with a flat section on top) to reduce vehicle speeds at the entrance to side roads and slip lanes, and connections with existing cycle facilities on side roads.
Solid median to improve safety
Another key feature is the introduction of solid planted median to replace the existing painted median.
During the scheme design stage, a number of options were assessed with varying lengths of solid median and flush median (painted white diagonal lines) along the centre of the roadway.
Analysis of crash data indicated a high number of crashes were the result of vehicles trying to turn right into and out of access ways and driveways with the current 4-lane road layout.
While the solid median will restrict right-hand movements from the centre of the road in some locations, with a 6-lane road (3 traffic lanes in each direction), the solid median will significantly improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians by preventing these types of crashes.
Access will still be possible using existing routes and new U-turn facilities at some intersections.
Stormwater treatments
The wider road will capture more stormwater during rain than the existing road and we will implement stormwater treatments to minimise surface flooding.
Water will be captured by a kerb and channel and then conveyed into catch pits and stormwater network pipes. All stormwater will be treated to current Auckland Council standards. It may also be possible to capture water and control its discharge by the use of stormwater retention ponds along the route.
Further analysis of the stormwater treatment and retention will occur during the next phase of design.
Landscaping works will also improve the visual appeal of the route.
Utility relocation
Utility services will be relocated and upgraded as part of the project. There will be a significant investment in locating utilities below ground surface.
Existing bush and trees
A number of existing trees along Lincoln Road will be affected by the upgrade. The final design will determine the exact number and how those effects will be mitigated.
Traffic signal optimisation
Traffic signals will be optimised to perform at their most efficient, further improving levels of service along the corridor.
Design
Design images are being updated.
Property purchases
AT’s Properties Division has now purchased all the properties needed in the vicinity of the intersection between Lincoln Road and Central Park Drive and Triangle Road.
This includes:
- nine whole properties on the northern side of Triangle Road where it intersects Lincoln Road (beside the radio masts).
- a small amount of property from the area occupied by the radio masts.
- a small amount of property from a private owner on the opposite side of the road.
AT will be responsible for rebuilding front walls, fences, and/or landscaping and moving hedges to the new front boundaries of the properties.
AT will also be responsible for restoring other affected parts of properties to a state similar to that which they were in before works started (this does not include improvements to unaffected parts of the property).
Public engagement
Notice of requirement for designation
AT has successfully applied to Auckland Council for a Notice of Requirement (NOR) for the change of use of varying amounts of private property that we propose purchasing to enable the widening of Lincoln Road.
Auckland Council publicly notified the NoR in October 2016 and public submissions closed 14 November 2016. More than 30 affected property owners and tenants made submissions to the NoR process.
Council granted the NoR in June 2017.
Find out more about the notice of requirement process.
Customer liaison
AT proposes to create customer liaison processes to enable us to identify and address local issues, jointly explore the likely effects on businesses and residents during construction, and to work together to minimise disruption. This work will continue from late 2017 until the end of construction.
2016
AT contacted all 267 affected property owners and tenants, informing them of the proposed land purchase and outlining the likely impact on the properties they own or rent.
The latest version of the Lincoln Road upgrade, incorporating feedback from previous consultation rounds, was also shared with affected property owners, tenants, and the wider community around Lincoln Road.
2015
Consultation continued with iwi on design and cultural matters.
December 2013 to February 2014
AT consulted with property owners, residents, and other interested parties about the Lincoln Road upgrade proposal.
The consultation was conducted online, by post, and at public meetings. The responses received were evaluated and used in making decisions about different aspects of the proposed upgrade.
The major issues identified by submitters were:
Transit lane(s)
AT proposes widening Lincoln Road to include a transit lane or lanes.
- 23 submissions supported having bus lanes.
- 25 submissions suggested that if Lincoln Road is to be widened a bus lane should be installed immediately and not also be a T3.
- 17 submissions supported T3 lanes.
- 27 submissions supported T2 instead of T3 lanes.
- 19 submissions suggested converting an existing road lane to T3.
Decisions
- Bus-only lanes are not currently justified.
- The introduction of T2 or T3 facilities is under consideration as part of the overall design review underway during 2019.
Off-road shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists
AT proposes having off-road shared paths on either side of Lincoln Road for pedestrians and cyclists.
- 16 submissions appreciated improved cycling provisions and another four supported improved pedestrian provisions.
- 60 submissions favoured separated cycle-ways.
Decision
A separated facility for cyclists is included in the detailed design.
Solid median
There will be a raised solid median enabling centreline planting and restricts right turn opportunities, including right turns to and from driveways.
- 29 submissions supported a solid median.
- six submissions opposed a solid median.
Decision
AT is including the solid median in the final design.
Preston Avenue
The proposal to connect Preston Avenue to Lincoln Road was opposed by 31 submissions.
Decision
Preston Avenue will not be connected to Lincoln Road.
Other measures
AT's proposals covered a variety of other measures, such as pedestrian crossings, slip lanes, right turns, and signals.
Thirty-nine submissions were received in relation to these issues, but no more than 5 submissions on any one individually.