Reshaping Travel for 18,000 People in East Auckland

Auckland Transport engaged Jacobs in October 2021 as a design team member of the Eastern Busway Alliance (EBA) to deliver stages 2, 3 and 4 of the Eastern Busway project. This $800 million USD ($1.3 billion NZD) initiative will deliver a dedicated 4.3-mile (7 km) busway with 7.5 miles (12 km) of new walking and cycling paths connecting Panmure, Pakūranga and Botany, two new bridges, four new stations and placemaking and urban renewal initiatives. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, the project will create a seamless multimodal corridor that boosts network resilience, reduces carbon emissions and supports compact urban development.

A major milestone was the successful placement of Rā Hihi-flyover, a direct link between Pakūranga Road and Pakūranga Highway, reducing pressure on east Auckland and nearby Tī Rākau Drive. Delivered five months ahead of schedule and under budget, Rā Hihi is a critical part of the project. The flyover carries four lanes of traffic, two in each direction, and is approximately 656 yards (600 m) long, 20 yards (18 m) wide and 11yards (10 m) high. This milestone marks significant progress in unlocking faster, safer journeys for East Auckland.

The challenge

East Auckland’s rapid growth led to congested roads, disconnected neighborhoods and low public transit use. Auckland Transport needed a high-capacity transit corridor to improve access, cut emissions and support urban growth, while protecting cultural and environmental values.

The solution

Jacobs in an alliance with Auckland Transport, Fletcher Construction, ACCIONA and AECOM, in partnership with mana whenua, is delivering an integrated mass-transit corridor connecting Panmure, Pakūranga and Botany. Our scope includes transport planning and modeling, environmental and stakeholder approvals, detailed design and sustainability strategy.

The project is targeting an Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) rating of excellent or better and supports future Airport–Botany mass transit. Smart design choices, such as adjusting the flyover to avoid costly groundworks, have cut more than $175 million USD ($285 million NZD) in costs and reduced delivery times.

The team also worked closely with iwi to improve local water quality and embed cultural values into the project.

The Eastern Busway shows how collaborative design, carbon-smart thinking and local co-governance can reshape daily life, making it easier to travel, cleaner to breathe and better for generations to come.