Dominion Road 2016

Timing

The scale of the works, the impact on the 290 properties directly affected, and the costs associated with the project present practical reasons for staging the improvements over a 12-year period. This means people will see gradual improvements rather than a sudden transformation.

Users of the route will see short-term benefits such as improvements to bus stops by 2010.

Longer-term improvements are scheduled to take place between 2010 and 2016 to coincide with the forecasted traffic growth that justifies their construction. The Rugby World Cup in 2011 will also affect the work programme and the original staging of the project has been altered to accommodate the World Cup requirements.

The projected programme of physical works is outlined below.

When	What will you see?	What will it offer?
Stage 1 2009-2010	Upgraded bus stops and associated streetscape improvements, mid-block improvements, and wider bus lanes to the southern end of the Valley Road shops	These measures offer immediate passenger benefits as well as an opportunity to improve shelter, ticketing and information facilities at bus stops. The time it takes for passengers to get on the bus will be reduced.
Stage 2 2011 to 2013	Upgraded bus stops and associated streetscape improvements, mid-block improvements, and wider bus lanes from the southern end of the Valley Road shops to the southern end of Dominion Road	Bus lanes on Dominion Road will be brought up to Australasian standards, meaning that buses can more easily pass the growing numbers of cyclists and traffic queues.
Stage 3 2012 to 2013	The Valley Road deviation and streetscape improvements within the shopping centre	The deviation (the final design is yet to be confirmed) is expected to offer greatly improved waiting areas for passengers (particularly for those travelling to Auckland's CBD) and good pedestrian connections to the surrounding shopping area. It will also opportunities for streetscape improvements to benefit the retail centre.
Stage 4 2014 to 2016	The Balmoral Road deviation and streetscape improvements within the shopping centre	Similar to the Valley Road intersection, growing congestion at the intersection of Balmoral and Dominion roads may justify a deviation off Dominion Road. Because of the much higher existing capacity of the Balmoral Road intersection, this deviation won't be required until towards the end of the work period.