Karangahape

Karangahape Road is set to become a very busy pedestrian area anchored by two major transit-stations at each end: City Rail Link (CRL) and Light Rail Transit (LRT).

Responding to this massive increase in transit access, under Access for Everyone (A4E), the central section of Karangahape Road between Queen Street and Pitt Street would become a transit street.

It would redistribute general traffic to give greater priority and space to:

• public transport services
• walking
• cycling
• place-making.

A new bridge for light rail that crosses the Central Motorway Junction (CMJ) opens up new opportunities for enhanced walking and cycling linkages between Karangahape Road and Eden Terrace.

Connecting to Ian McKinnon Drive, this corridor has potential to become a signature beltline or greenway route through to Dominion Road.

Closure of southern motorway on-ramp at Symonds Street will support reduced traffic volumes on Karangahape Road. Prioritising new transit connections and greatly increased pedestrian volumes is a key goal of Access for Everyone (A4E).

Potential walking and cycling connections to Carlton Gore Road would strengthen linkages between the health precinct, Grafton and Newmarket.

Light Rail Transit is expected to add a new underpass station to Karangahape Road, below the intersection with Queen Street.

This has the potential to become a truly landmark urban junction and gateway to the Karangahape Road precinct.

The masterplan envisages a design that celebrates the theatre of people, coming from and going to the platforms below. This fits within an architectural design that has a distinctly Tāmaki Makaurau form and identity.

Cross Street will become a vibrant secondary laneway linkage in the future, complementing the main street status of Karangahape Road.

It will benefit from direct, flat, accessible connections with both City Rail Link (CRL) and light rail transit (LRT) stations, with greatly increased pedestrian flows the catalyst for growing the depth and diversity of offer back from Karangahape Road itself.

City Rail Link (CRL) is expected to be the catalyst for significant ongoing regeneration and redevelopment around Karangahape Road over the life of the masterplan.

This activity will be concentrated on the back streets either side of the Karangahape Road ridgeline.

It will renew and elevate the importance of this historic shopping street and town centre.

Light rail will likely require traffic access restrictions at Canada Street intersection.

The restrictions will greatly reduce the traffic volumes and open up space for new, higher value uses along Canada Street.

This would, in turn, give incentives for development on sites currently affected by vehicle-dominated streets.

From 2024, the CRL Station will open with street entrances at Beresford Square and Mercury Lane. This will make it much easier and quicker to access Karangahape Road by public transport.

The project includes:

• overbuild development above the Mercury Lane entrance
• a new pedestrian lane through to East Street
• streetscape upgrades to Mercury Lane and Beresford Square.