Major Auckland streets close long term for CRL upgrade

6:18 pm on 5 February 2020

Two major roads in central Auckland will close next month, as construction on the City Rail Link moves into its next stage.

Concerns raised about City Rail Link after company crashes

Concerns raised about City Rail Link after company crashes Photo: RNZ / YouTube

The Wellesley Street West intersection, along with Albert Street and Mayoral Drive will be closed to road traffic as work on the underground Aotea Station begins.

A CRL spokesperson said construction of the station was a big undertaking, with the road closures allowing staff to quickly move existing underground utilities.

Once the walls and roof of the station were built in 2021, Wellesley Street West would reopen.

Access to Mayoral Drive at the intersection would stay closed until the CRL is complete.

The change will mean rerouting up to 30 bus routes.

A spokesperson for Auckland Transport, Pete Moth, said no bus services had been cancelled - but journey times may be longer.

He said that despite the closures, AT was not expecting increased traffic in the CBD.

"We're expecting a general reduction in traffic due ot these closures because from previous experience we've seen when there's ... fewer availability for traffic we generally see a downturn in numbers."

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