Thousands of motor vehicle trips have now been taken over the new $152 million Pakūranga overpass, as more work is yet to be done before it fully opens on Labour Day.
Auckland Transport (AT) says a black Jeep SUV was the first car to drive across Rā Hihi, the Reeves Road Flyover, in the early morning of Wednesday, October 1.
The speed limit on the 600-metre-long roading structure that soars over the Pakūranga town centre precinct is 50 kilometres an hour.
The flyover has been open to traffic driving in the two lanes headed in the westward direction, and its four lanes will be fully operational on October 27.
“Seeing the first car drive across Rā Hihi is a powerful moment,” says Jane Small, AT’s rail and rapid transit infrastructure group manager.
“People can now enjoy the benefits after their patience through planning and construction.
“Rā Hihi is more than an engineering achievement. It’s an important connection that makes daily journeys easier, safer, and more reliable for Aucklanders.
“Not only does the flyover benefit drivers, but it also enables better public transport options on the busway being built beneath it,” Small says.
“It’s great to witness the Eastern Busway taking shape and delivering benefits step by step.
“Rā Hihi allows the Eastern Busway to be extended from Pakūranga to Botany.
“When the City Rail Link opens in 2026, people will be able to use the already open section of the busway from Pakūranga to get to Eden Park, New Lynn and Henderson quickly and conveniently by train and bus.”
At a Business East Tāmaki breakfast meeting on the same day Rā Hihi opened to motorists, Matt Zame, the Eastern Busway project director, gave an audience of company leaders a progress report about the $1.3 billion super transport project.
Zame said the partial opening of the flyover is a big milestone but there’s still “a lot more work under the flyover” to do in the coming months, including reopening and reconnecting Reeves Road to the local road system at Pakūranga town centre.
His presentation also focussed on the work happening further down the route of the Pakūranga to Botany section on Tī Rākau Drive, where large-scale building works are underway constructing the Tī Rākau Bridge and Taupaepae Bridge at Burswood.
Small and Zame say the Eastern Busway Alliance construction team, AT, and Auckland Council are very pleased the Rā Hihi flyover project was completed five months ahead of schedule and more than $4m under budget.
The new overpass directly links Pakūranga Road to the South-Eastern Highway.
Rā Hihi means ‘sun’s rays’ in te reo Māori and was a gift to the project by mana whenua, Ngai Tai ki Tāmaki. The structure is 187m wide and 10m high.
The full busway to Botany is due for completion in the second half of 2027.
AT says: “By 2028, the completed Eastern Busway is expected to carry 18,000 passengers a day, with projections rising to 24,000 passengers per day by 2048.
“The project includes 12km of dedicated walking and cycleways, 7km of busway and five new stations.”
The Eastern Busway project is funded by the Government and the council.
- For recent Times’ stories and photos about the Rā Hihi flyover, read:
https://www.times.co.nz/business/a-long-road-to-152m-pakuranga-overpass/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/saluting-flyover-heroes-early-opening-for-new-roadway/
https://www.times.co.nz/local-business/new-photos-released-of-flyovers-progress/
https://www.times.co.nz/news/motorists-warned-to-expect-more-delays-in-pakuranga/
https://www.times.co.nz/business/exclusive-photos-plot-progress-of-ra-hihi-reeves-road-flyover/
