As well as reducing congestion, this project will help improve transport choice by providing improved walking and cycling facilities and help to improve social wellbeing and connectivity.
Update February 2025
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has agreed to co-fund the next stage of the project, which will advance the design to prepare for construction. This will include surveying, service investigation and geotechnical assessments.
Structural and seismic investigations on the Hairini Bridge are expected to get under way in August 2025. Full design of the road corridor will get under way in early 2026, with the community having an opportunity to give feedback before any construction starts, currently planned for late 2026/early 2027 if further funding is approved.
What are we proposing?
Based on our technical investigations and community feedback gathered in 2023, we are proposing improvements to Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road, and Hairini Bridge and causeway, and the signalisation of the Welcome Bay Road/James Cook Drive intersection and a mini roundabout at Victory Street/James Cook Drive. All other walking and cycling and road safety improvements along Welcome Bay Road and some of the roads surrounding Fifteenth Avenue will be funded and delivered separately outside the scope of this project.

Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road and Hairini Bridge and causeway improvements
Fifteenth Avenue, Turret Road and Hairini Bridge and causeway improvements map (518kb pdf)

Welcome Bay improvements
Welcome Bay improvements map (1.3mb pdf)
Proposed improvements
The proposed improvements include:
- Four-laning of Fifteenth Avenue from Cameron Road to Burrows Street, one lane in each direction for general traffic and one high occupancy lane (T2) for vehicles with two or more passengers (including buses)
- Raised centre median on Fifteenth Avenue from Cameron Road to Fraser Street
- New signalised crossing at intersection of Fifteenth Avenue and Devonport Road
- Other intersection changes along the corridor
- Shared use path on Fifteenth Avenue between Fraser Street and Hairini Bridge (on the south side)
- Shared use path on Fifteenth Avenue between Fraser and Burrows Streets (on the north side)
- New signalised crossing on Turret Road
- Potential new traffic signals for the Silver Birch Holiday Park near Hairini Bridge (allowing both entrance and exit from the park and turnaround of southbound traffic).
- Three-laning of Hairini Bridge and causeway, including a tidal flow system which means there could be two lanes of traffic going into the city in the morning, changing to two lanes going out of the city in the afternoon
- A clip-on shared use path on Hairini Bridge for walking and cycling
- Proposed new traffic signals at the intersection of Welcome Bay Road and James Cook Drive with two approach lanes (one for buses only during the morning peak)
- Mini roundabout at the intersection of James Cook Drive and Victory Street.
- Water, wastewater, and stormwater renewals
- Utilities work and relocation
- Opportunity to capture cultural elements.
Protecting our flora and fauna
The Pōhutukawa trees next to Turret Road are protected as Notable trees under the City Plan. They will not be impacted by changes proposed in any of the options. There may be opportunities to enhance the space around these trees to ensure they are protected and continue to be valued by the community.
The Hairini Bridge is home to a colony of protected white-fronted terns which nest on the historic piers on the western side of the bridge. We are investigating options to ensure a good nesting habitat for the tern population is available before any changes are made to the area.