The much anticipated Karangahape Road Enhancements are under way at last! We’re beyond excited about the makeover, which will make K’ Road even more welcoming than ever for people walking, biking, and hopping on and off buses.
Hard to believe it was five long years ago when Generation Zero led the call for K’ Road bike lanes. Back then over 100 local businesses signed up in support. Now’s our chance to reward that early vote of confidence by doing our bit as nimble travellers and frequent shoppers to keep K’ Road humming during construction.
Construction has already begun at the Symonds St end (as far as Queen St), and starts at the Ponsonby Rd end (as far as Howe St) on Monday 12 August. We’ll keep you posted about construction and progress, and you can sign up for updates from AT through the project page here and construction updates from JFC here.
What’s happening at the Symonds St end?
This section is set to take a couple of months. Here’s how the initial traffic layout will look on the block of K Road from Symonds St to Queen St. There’s a temporary 30kmh speed limit through the work zone.
Note that there’s just one westbound lane – but traffic should be traveling slowly through the construction zone. If you’re not confident heading westbound on the road here, there’s a detour through the park at the top of the cemetery.
What’s happening at the Ponsonby Road end?
A 30kmh speed limit applies here, too. This section of work, from Ponsonby Rd to Howe St, is expected to take about five months.
Also note the existing cycle lane on Ponsonby Road past the Mobil station will be temporarily closed during construction – as will the small bit of advance lane on Great North Road heading towards K Road. This is because the contractors will be building a curb bulb-out on K Road itself, and the existing cycle lanes would lead you right into the work zone and/or put you into conflict with traffic in the adjacent lane.
Please travel with care through here, and let us know if you run into any issues so we can raise it with the project team.
Meanwhile, we warmly encourage you to visit (or discover!) your favourite merchants on K Road over the next few months, at each end and all the way in between. Whether you’re biking, walking, driving, or bussing through or nearby, take the opportunity to shop, dine, and play here over the coming year. Make a point of popping in – for coffee, clothes, dinner, lunch, burgers, kebabs, yakitori, a shandy, guitar gear, tailoring services, milk & bread, bikes, etc!
We kicked things off by bringing our monthly Bike Breakfast to the very gorgeous Between Cafe, at 82 K’ Road between Symonds St and Upper Queen St with support from the K’ Road Business Association. What a turnout – over forty of you showed up!
Stay tuned for details of our next Bike Breakfast on K’ Road.
Anna, the owner of Between, is optimistic about the project in general, while naturally a little apprehensive about what the next couple of months will be like while her block undergoes the first set of roadworks. A smart and proactive businesswoman, she’s asked AT to provide some bike parking out front, and is looking forward to welcoming you all – not just this Thursday, but whenever you’re nearby.
Good to know: Between is open 7.30 – 4 on weekdays, and 8.30 – 4 on weekends (kitchen last order 3pm, coffee last order 3:30pm) and has a menu that draws from the best of French and Vietnamese cuisine, not to mention a gorgeous Instagram feed. We can confirm, having been there for a previous Bike Breakfast and at other times besides, the food is fantastic and the service is wonderfully kind and attentive.
We also represented at the Electric Bike Team‘s recent 3rd Birthday Mega Sale. The Electric Bike Team is a long-time Bike Auckland partner, and as the name suggests, they’re experts in e-bikes, with special knowledge about family biking, so if you’re cargo-bike curious or e-bike interested, this is the place to visit.
You’ll find Maurice and the team at 29 East St, opposite Mercury Plaza and right next to the entrance to the pink path, handy for test rides.
And speaking of Mercury Plaza, that venerable home of great noodles and more besides: sadly, it’s entering its final days, as it will be making way for the new railway station as part of the CRL works. Sic transit gloria mundi.
To honour Mercury Plaza’s legacy, the building will host a fab group exhibition, featuring Chinese Artists in T?maki Makaurau, and curated by Joni Lee and Jia Luo. Celebrating themes of origins and new beginnings, the exhibition runs from 14 August to 14 September and is open the same hours as the plaza, 9.45am – 9pm every day, with a mighty closing party on 14 September, 5-9pm.
Find out more about the exhibition here and follow @mercuryplazashow on Instagram for more info in the coming weeks.
