Kia ora koutou,  

We’re pleased to provide you with an update on the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project and the progress being made.  

From Sunday, 3 July the new ‘Essential Vehicle Area’ (EVA) will come into force along Queen Street, between Wakefield and Wellesley Streets, creating a less congested, more vibrant and people-friendly city centre. This will move us towards the low emissions, pedestrian priority area outlined in Auckland Council’s City Centre Masterplan. 

Queen Street’s EVA will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This received strong support from Aucklanders in our September consultation. 

To ensure we can continue servicing the Queen Street community and provide reliable public transport, the EVA will allow certain vehicles to continue using the stretch of road, including buses, goods vehicles, emergency service vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles. 

The EVA will be remotely monitored, and there will be an initial period of six weeks where people incorrectly using the EVA will receive a warning letter. After that, incorrect use of the EVA will result in a $150 infringement fee.  

Please see the map attached which shows where the loading zones and mobility parks are located, and how to access Queen Street by car if you need to. However, now is a good time to consider taking the bus, train, or walking, cycling if your destination is the city centre. 

To find out more about the EVA and other changes Auckland Transport are making to reduce discretionary traffic on Queen Street visit the betterway website.  

For any further questions about the EVA or the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project, please contact queenstproject@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. 

We were due to finish construction this September, but unfortunately the project continues to be impacted by COVID-19, supply chain and labour constraints.  

We are also working in a complex city centre environment where we need to keep the public transport network functioning well, all while juggling public and private development in the city centre.  

While we are working hard to make up for lost time, these factors have resulted in a four to six week delay and we expect construction on Queen Street to be complete by mid-November 2022.

• By the end of June, construction will largely be complete in the area between Mayoral Drive and Wellesley Street (zone 5), with just the greenery and the multi-use path markings to be added. Once these are in, Aucklanders will get a taste of the people-focussed street that we’re progressing. 
   
• On Monday 27 June we will be moving into the next section of Queen Street, between Victoria and Shortland Streets (zone 3). We will begin by repairing the paved mid-block crossing near Durham Street. This is expected to take two weeks to complete. During the first week, traffic flow will be reduced to a single lane and two-way access will be managed by a stop-go operation between 10:00 am - 4:00 pm for one week. 
  
  At the same time, footpath extension work will begin to infill the loading bay near Wyndham Street. So this work can take place, bus stop 7052 will be temporarily relocated to bus stop 7050 near Vulcan Lane, between Monday 27 June and Sunday 3 July.  
   
• On Monday 4 July we will start work in the section between Wellesley and Victoria Streets (zone 4). We will be repairing the paved mid-block crossing near Darby Street. It will also take two weeks to complete and require a stop-go operation for one week between 10:00am – 4:00pm.  
  
  At the same time, a new accessible ramp will be installed for mobility parking in the loading zone on the corner of Wellesley Street and Queen Street.  
   
• Following these works we will be moving to the eastern side of Queen Street (Zone 3 and 4) to extend the footpath and develop the multi-use path. This work will happen between mid-July and early November. See our staging plan for details. 

If you have any construction queries during the project, please contact JFC’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager, Sally Logan on 021 420 794 or sally.logan@jfcltd.co.nz. 

For more regular updates on construction activity please subscribe to JFC’s more detailed construction letter.  

Watercare will also be undertaking some investigative works in and around Queen Street in the coming months. 

Midtown will experience substantial growth from residential and commercial development in the coming years as more people choose to live and build businesses in the city centre. To support this growth, the capacity of the wastewater network in the area needs increasing.  

Watercare’s Queen Street Diversion Project will begin investigations of the existing wastewater pipes and system in the coming weeks. Where possible, Watercare will use the existing access points (manholes) for their inspection, however this work does require them to dig some trenches and do borehole drilling in selected places.  

These investigative works are critical to inform the design of the new infrastructure that’s needed to support the area’s growth and prevent wastewater being discharged into the Waitemata Harbour. 

The full extent of the work will span Mayoral Drive from Cook Street to Myers Street, along the back of Bledisloe Building, Wellesley Street between Elliott Street and Queen Street, and along Queen Street from Mayoral Drive to Victoria Street. 

Auckland Council is working closely with Watercare, and where possible will be coordinating construction activity so that disruption to people and businesses is minimised. Further information about the Watercare works will be available in July.  

For any immediate questions please email Watercare Project Manager Yukie Wang at Yukie.Wang@water.co.nz

Thank you for your patience with us and our work. We are looking forward to delivering you an improved Queen Street before the end of the year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

For any further questions about the Wai Horotiu Queen Street Project, please contact queenstproject@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.