Auckland's Eastern Busway: Work begins on bridge span over Tamaki Estuary

Friday, 7 August 2020

Footage of the Eastern Busway to be built over the Tamaki Estuary from August 2020

The most complex part of the construction of Auckland’s $1.4 billion Eastern Busway began on Monday, as 200 metres of steel spans started being pushed out to span the Tamaki Estuary.

The bridge build, linking the town centres of Panmure and Pakuranga, will take six months. It will be the first section of the 7km dedicated busway and cycle and walkway.

The Eastern Busway will be Auckland’s second separated busway and will reach Botany by 2025.

The four steel spans are the biggest to be built in this country. Each will take 10 days to be pushed out before the following section is joined.

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An aerial view of the Eastern Busway bridge being built over the Tamaki Estuary.

The bridge over the estuary runs alongside the existing crossing and will include new cycling and walking paths and lookout platforms, funded by Auckland’s regional fuel tax.

“This project will transform east Auckland and deliver the transport infrastructure needed to accommodate population growth and support the provision of new housing,” Mayor Phil Goff said.

The eastern busway follows the success of the Northern Busway on the North Shore. It opened in 2008 and is now the biggest and fastest-growing rapid transit line in Auckland.

The Eastern Busway has three further stages through Pakuranga Town Centre, Reeves Rd and to Botany Town Centre, to be completed progressively over the next five years after starting in 2018.

The project will include the congestion-free busway along Ti Rakau Drive and major new stations will be built at Pakuranga and Botany.

Auckland Transport said the busway would provide the next critical link in the region’s rapid transit network, connecting a congestion-free busway with the rail network at Panmure Station.

“It will also offer better access to viewing opportunities across the awa (river) which is an important historical, environmental and scenic asset for Pakuranga and Panmure,” Mark Lambert, the head of integrated networks, said.