Wellesley Street Bus Improvement project begins

Earlier this month, work began to deliver the Wellesley Street Bus Improvements on Wellesley Street between Albert Street and Queen Street. The Auckland Transport team are working closely with City Rail Link's Link Alliance and utility providers to carry out the work in this area. 

The first step has been to temporarily relocate the bus stops in this area to make space for construction, and to help people get used to the new bus arrangements. We are monitoring the temporary traffic management carefully and making adjustments as needed to make sure people and vehicles can move around safely.

From next week, we'll be focused on undergound utilities, digging small pits to help confirm the locations and condition of undergound pipes and cables - read more below.

Once we're ready to begin construction, we plan to begin on the north side of the street with pedestrian access to all shops maintained. Paving directly outside shop entrances will be coordinated with businesses to minimise disruption.

Footpath work will be staged so that the footpath is never fully closed but will be narrowed at various times. Once the northern side of the street is complete and fully open to pedestrians, work will shift to the south side of the street.

Making our city centre safer

You may have noticed an increased security presence around midtown in the last few weeks - Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown recently announced increased the funding to our city centre safety partnership 'Together for Tamaki Makaurau', including increasing the CityWatch team from 6 to 18 for an initial trial period of four months, beginning last month.

City centre safety initiatives now underway as part of the ‘Together for Tāmaki Makaurau’ partnership and part-funded by the mayor’s office include:

• expanding the CityWatch team
• three operational safety co-ordination hubs set up at Queens Wharf, High Street and Day Street
• a dedicated City Centre Safety Coordinator
• community patrols volunteer recruitment drive - we have increased our volunteer numbers fivefold with nearly 60 community patrols, with training now underway
• an additional $60,000 funding has been secured to expand support to an outreach partner working to place street whānau in secure housing
• enhanced CCTV in the city centre.

Image: The new street art on Victoria Street. Photo credit - Real Groovy.

What to expect in your area

Victoria Street West

Work continues on streetlight pole foundations on the corner of Elliott Street and Victoria Street West. Preparation for the new footpath between Elliott Street and Queen Street has begun with concrete expected to be poured in a few weeks.

Ducting has been installed in the ground at the ANZ corner and we are now installing the new kerb line and footpath. This is expected to be completed in about three weeks.

If you have any questions about construction, you can reach our contractor JFC’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager Sally Logan at sally.logan@jfcltd.co.nz or 021 420 794.

Victoria Street East

Work continues on the intersection of High Street and Victoria Street East. We are installing a tree pit, the new kerb and extending the footpath.

Work on the northern side of the street between High Street and Kitchener Street is progressing well. We have installed a new stormwater line and are now connecting that to the existing stormwater system. We are also installing new stormwater manholes in this area.

Connecting and testing of the new Watercare diversion works will take place over the next month in small sites outside Starbucks and Farmers. The work will take place in the footpath but pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

If you have any questions about construction, you can reach our contractor JFC’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager Sally Logan at sally.logan@jfcltd.co.nz or 021 420 794.

Victoria Street Loading Zones 

Kitchener Street

This week we will begin work on installing new ducting for fibre cabling outside 36 Kitchener Street. This is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete. The work will take place on the footpath and shoulder of the road. Pedestrian access and two way traffic flow will be maintained at all times.

If you have any questions about construction, you can reach our contractor JFC’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager Sally Logan at sally.logan@jfcltd.co.nz or 021 420 794.

Elliott Street

Stage one of the works undertaken by Vector on the corner of Elliot and Wellesley Streets have now been completed. 

Work continues on streetlight pole foundations on the corner of Elliott Street and Victoria Street West. If you have any questions about construction, you can reach our contractor JFC’s Stakeholder Liaison Manager Sally Logan at sally.logan@jfcltd.co.nz or 021 420 794.

Wellesley Street West

The City Rail Link's Link Alliance and Auckland Transport's Wellesley Street Bus Improvements projects are working closely to coordinate work in this area.

Wellesley Street Bus Improvements

Our site has been established and underground service investigations and relocations continue around Bledisloe Lane. To prepare for streetscape construction, we have relocated bus stops - read more here. 

Temporary traffic management has been installed, reducing Wellesley Street West to one lane in each direction, and we have people onsite to help direct traffic and pedestrians.

From Monday 6 May, we will start work on services investigations in the Elliott Street to Queen Street block. This involves 'potholing' to confirm the locations of underground utilities, and using Hydrovac machines to support excavation. We'll be working in small sites to reduce disruption, and we'll do our best to minimise noise. Access to all properties and businesses will be maintained.

If you have any questions about construction, contact us at midtown@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz .

Electricity network upgrades - Vector

From 6-19 May, Vector will be working outside the Auckland Council building on Wellesley Street between Albert Street and Federal Street, and in the Albert Street sliplane, to upgrade the high voltage electricity network in preparation for the completion of the City Rail Link. 

The fit-out of the Wellesley Street station entrance is still ongoing, along with utilities and station connection works. The outer façade of the building is now complete, with scaffolding due to come down over the coming few months. The Victoria Street entrances are also continuing to be fitted out, with ongoing works below ground.

For more information about CRL progress and upcoming works see the Te Waihorotiu Station latest newsletter at:https://www.cityraillink.co.nz/aotea-newsletter

If you have any questions, contact the Link Alliance team at 0800 CRL TALK or aotea@linkalliance.co.nz .

Wellesley Street East

There are no works planned for Wellesley Street East at this time. Watercare plan to begin their wastewater upgrades in mid-2024.

Albert Street (Wyndham to Mayoral)

Streetscape works continue on Albert Street between Wyndham Street and Mayoral Drive. Paving has been completed in front of the AA Building, with the new footpath now open to the public. Works outside the SkyCity and Auckland Council buildings are progressing well – please follow the pedestrian diversions in place. Next month, the single southbound traffic lane between Victoria and Wellesley Street will shift over to the western side of the street – access to properties is unchanged. 

Find out more about the work on Albert Street here. If you have any questions, contact the Link Alliance team at 0800 CRL TALK or aotea@linkalliance.co.nz .

Wyndham Street

Link Alliance has now commenced new kerb and footpath construction on the south-east corner of the Wyndham/Albert intersection. A temporary one-way diversion on Wyndham Street is now in place, to enable these works to be completed safety. Access to all properties is maintained, and Wilson Parking carparks in the area remain open. 

If you have any questions, contact the Link Alliance team at 0800 CRL TALK or aotea@linkalliance.co.nz .

Kingston Street

This month the Link Alliance team began utilities upgrades and footpath works on the southern side of Kingston Street. The main public footpath has moved to the northern side of the street, where paving has been completed. Access to Kingston Street properties and local businesses is maintained using localised diversions. Reinstatement works on Kingston Street are expected to be mostly complete by July.