To make journey times faster and more reliable for people on buses, we’re proposing to build a new northbound bus priority lane on SH1 from Wilks Road overbridge to the Silverdale off-ramp, at Dairy Flat on State Highway 1 (SH1).
People in the north of Auckland need faster and more reliable public transport options.
To make journey times faster for people on buses, the Silverdale Bus Priority Lane (Northbound) project will provide a wider emergency stopping lane that will be utilised as a bus priority lane between 3pm – 7pm, Monday to Friday.
The purpose of the project is to improve reliability and throughput for northbound buses on SH1, catering for rapid transit services to Silverdale by bypassing afternoon peak queues generated from the northbound Silverdale off-ramp.
The lane will be approximately 2.5 kilometres long and will be constructed within the existing highway corridor, alongside the existing lanes. As a result, there will be no impact to the number of lanes available to general motorists.
Before the construction begins, road users will be informed of the expected construction time periods and how construction may affect them.
The bus priority lane is being constructed in addition to the existing lanes, so there will be no reduction in the number of lanes available to general motorists. Impacts on traffic will be managed during construction.
The new widened corridor will function as a bus priority lane during permitted hours. It requires an amendment to the NZ Transport Agency Traffic Controls on State Highways Bylaw 2017/14, in order for it to become legal and enforceable.
The specific updates into the bylaw are:
Bus lanes provide a fast, reliable congestion-easing travel option and we need to ensure the correct regulations can be enforced when needed.
The proposed new, wider emergency stopping lane and bus priority lane is outlined in the map below.
Bus priority lanes maximise the capacity of the road corridor, significantly improve the quality of public transport along a route and improve operational efficiency.
The new bus priority lane will reduce and deliver more reliable bus journey times for public transport users with travel time savings during peak hours. This will improve connections locally and will cater for rapid transit network services in the area by bypassing afternoon peak queues generated from the Silverdale northbound off-ramp.
When this saving is combined with other improvements along the route, it results in faster and more reliable journey times, overall.
This project will support the development of northern future urban growth areas (Silverdale, Dairy Flat, Wainui and Orewa) identified as part of the Te Tupu Ngātahi (Supporting Growth) programme of work.
This improved reliability and resilience will, in turn, improve and make it easier for people to move about and choose how they want to travel.
The changes will also provide a wider shoulder further away from live traffic if a vehicle needs to stop in an emergency.
CloseWe sought stakeholder and community feedback, on the proposed amendment to the Traffic Controls on State Highways Bylaw, from 7 April 2025 – 2 May 2025.
This project is part of the Auckland Network Optimisation (ANO) programme. The aim of ANO is to increase the effectiveness and productivity of Auckland’s network, with relatively inexpensive and quick changes to our roads and paths, to improve efficiency, agility, safety and support economic growth outcomes.
It is a joint programme between Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport that seeks to enhance people and goods movement, access and efficiency, and provide better transport options to contribute to a healthier and resilient future transport network where everyone can get where they need to safely and efficiently.
