Plans for level crossing upgrades at Takaanini have drawn Papakura Local Board support, with members calling for the Manuia Road crossing to be actioned first.
The board provided its views alongside the public during consultation and confirming its feedback, called for urgency around the Manuia Road crossing, a regular source of complaint from both motorists and residents in the area.
Board Chair Brent Catchpole says KiwiRail will work with Auckland Transport on upgrades, and they can’t come soon enough.
“The board is supportive of the proposed changes to rail level crossings in Takaanini but we have expressed a concern that the sequencing of any work will need to minimise the impact on the wider roading network.
“Anyone familiar with the crossings will be only too well aware that congestion builds from early in the morning and can last beyond 10am and builds again from 2pm onwards in the afternoon.
“We have called for a start with Manuia Road, then Taka Street and on to Walters Road, with the closing of Spartan and Manuroa Roads as the last part of the work.”
The board called on KiwiRail to fund Auckland Transport to undertake an assessment to gain base data numbers for vehicles in 2023, to inform the best outcomes for the transport management plan.
It has also asked for an extensive information campaign in multiple languages about track safety and the risks of crossing rail lines, and for Kiwirail to undertake an audit of fencing and barriers along the rail corridor to ensure residents are not accessing the rail corridor.
The work is planned by Te Tupu Ngātahi Supporting Growth Alliance, a collaboration between AT and Waka Kotahi, responsible for investigating and planning more than 70 transport projects to support Auckland’s future urban growth.
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