Walk or cycle Auckland’s new road and tunnel

Auckland’s newest road is expected to take thousands of trucks a day off Panmure roads when it opens to traffic in early November.

Auckland Transport will open the 1.5km Te Horeta Rd in Panmure to traffic on Sunday 2 November. The road goes through a 220m tunnel, has new cycle lanes and a shared cycle and foot path alongside, which will all open at the same time.

A community event will be held on Saturday 1 November so people in the area can walk or cycle through the tunnel, along the road and on the shared path.

Completing the new road is the final major milestone for the $180m first stage of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI). It also included building the new Panmure Station, three new bridges and new cycling and walking links.

AMETI is a group of projects aimed at giving people in the south-eastern suburbs improved transport choices and better connections to the rest of Auckland. See an aerial video and photos of the new road, station and other upgrades here: at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/ameti/.

Auckland Transport Chairman, Dr Lester Levy says completing the first stage of AMETI will be an important milestone for transport improvements in the area.

“People in the area are beginning to realise the benefits of the longer term programme of improvements for the south east. It is also one of the first major transport infrastructure projects to be completed by Auckland Transport since the new Auckland Council was established.”

AMETI Programme Director, Peter King says the new road is expected to carry 20,000 vehicles a day, including 2400 trucks.

“Te Horeta Road will link Morrin Rd to Mt Wellington Highway to cut peak journey times between Mt Wellington and Glen Innes.The direct link will bypass the Panmure roundabout and Ellerslie-Panmure Highway, easing congestion on this route.

“People have seen significant improvements already with the Panmure Station opening in January. The new road, cycle and foot paths are another step forward in providing improved transport choices and better connections for people in the south east,” Mr King says.

Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board Chair, Simon Randall says the name Te Horeta Rd was selected after public consultation on a number of new road names.

“A number of names were considered, including some suggested by iwi and other names that reflect the area’s history. Te Horeta is a noted tupuna/ancestor of the Waiohua peoples and had an association with the area over a period of time.”

The 220m tunnel runs alongside the rail line at Panmure Station between Mountain Rd and Ellerslie-Panmure Highway. A new road for Panmure Station has been built on top of it.

About 5000 truckloads (44,000m3) of basalt rock from Mt Wellington lava flows was removed for the tunnel. The rock was crushed and re-used to build the new road and two new bridges on Ellerslie-Panmure Highway.

The project takes an integrated approach to improving transport - with the new Panmure Station and new cycle and foot paths being built alongside the new road.

Future stages of AMETI include a busway between Panmure Station, Pakuranga and Botany, upgrading Panmure roundabout to an intersection with traffic lights and a number of new cycle and foot paths.

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