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About the project
Accent Drive carries up to 17,000 vehicles, including 7.4% freight, each weekday. It is also part of Auckland’s Peak Transit Network, serving key bus routes that connect residential areas to commercial and industrial employment zones. Reliable travel times on this busy road are critical to improving public transport performance and making it a more attractive option.
Currently, Accent Drive faces several issues:
Daily congestion, particularly heading south towards Chapel Road in the afternoon
A bottleneck at Te Irirangi Drive where the road widens to two lanes at the intersection but narrows back to one lane
Variable travel times that impact freight efficiency and bus reliability.
We’re making targeted improvements to keep people and freight moving in East Tāmaki. We're focussing on Accent Drive as it's a key link between East Tāmaki Road, Te Irirangi Drive and Chapel Road. It connects one of Auckland’s largest industrial hubs with fast-growing residential suburbs such as Flat Bush and Ormiston.
Project update – construction starting June 2026
Following public engagement, technical assessments, and endorsement from both the Howick and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Boards, the Accent Drive project is now progressing to construction.
Construction is expected to take place between 14 and 19 June 2026, weather permitting, with most works occurring overnight between 7pm and 7am to minimise disruption to road users, businesses and freight operators. More details in the works notification letter here.
Project plan
Create an additional southbound lane along Accent Drive, from East Tamaki Road to Chapel Road, by narrowing parts of the existing median.
Along the southbound lane, an afternoon clearway will be introduced to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.
The clearway will only operate from 3-7pm on weekdays. On-street parking will remain available outside these hours, and alternative parking on side streets will continue to be available.
Add in broken yellow lines in parts to ensure safety for those accessing side roads and visibility during busy times.
These changes will be delivered without major infrastructure works, making better use of the road space we already have.
Benefits of these improvements
Reduce congestion and improve journey times for freight, commuters, and buses.
Improve network reliability for both public transport and general traffic.
Support more reliable public transport connections between residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
The clearwaywill only operatein the afternoon from 3–7pm. On-street parking will remain available outside these hours, and parking on side streets will continue to be available nearby.
Our data and modelling currently support installing an afternoon clearway to help ease congestion.
Public engagement
Public engagement on the proposal took place in October 2025. We received feedback from residents, businesses, commuters, Business East Tāmaki and local boards. We wanted to understand how these changes could affect your travel, parking, and access, and whether there are other improvements we should consider in addition to the proposal.
The feedback helped shape the final project, including confirming the need to improve congestion while balancing safety, parking and access considerations. Read the engagement summary report here.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback and help refine the project.
About the project
Accent Drive carries up to 17,000 vehicles, including 7.4% freight, each weekday. It is also part of Auckland’s Peak Transit Network, serving key bus routes that connect residential areas to commercial and industrial employment zones. Reliable travel times on this busy road are critical to improving public transport performance and making it a more attractive option.
Currently, Accent Drive faces several issues:
Daily congestion, particularly heading south towards Chapel Road in the afternoon
A bottleneck at Te Irirangi Drive where the road widens to two lanes at the intersection but narrows back to one lane
Variable travel times that impact freight efficiency and bus reliability.
We’re making targeted improvements to keep people and freight moving in East Tāmaki. We're focussing on Accent Drive as it's a key link between East Tāmaki Road, Te Irirangi Drive and Chapel Road. It connects one of Auckland’s largest industrial hubs with fast-growing residential suburbs such as Flat Bush and Ormiston.
Project update – construction starting June 2026
Following public engagement, technical assessments, and endorsement from both the Howick and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Boards, the Accent Drive project is now progressing to construction.
Construction is expected to take place between 14 and 19 June 2026, weather permitting, with most works occurring overnight between 7pm and 7am to minimise disruption to road users, businesses and freight operators. More details in the works notification letter here.
Project plan
Create an additional southbound lane along Accent Drive, from East Tamaki Road to Chapel Road, by narrowing parts of the existing median.
Along the southbound lane, an afternoon clearway will be introduced to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.
The clearway will only operate from 3-7pm on weekdays. On-street parking will remain available outside these hours, and alternative parking on side streets will continue to be available.
Add in broken yellow lines in parts to ensure safety for those accessing side roads and visibility during busy times.
These changes will be delivered without major infrastructure works, making better use of the road space we already have.
Benefits of these improvements
Reduce congestion and improve journey times for freight, commuters, and buses.
Improve network reliability for both public transport and general traffic.
Support more reliable public transport connections between residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
The clearwaywill only operatein the afternoon from 3–7pm. On-street parking will remain available outside these hours, and parking on side streets will continue to be available nearby.
Our data and modelling currently support installing an afternoon clearway to help ease congestion.
Public engagement
Public engagement on the proposal took place in October 2025. We received feedback from residents, businesses, commuters, Business East Tāmaki and local boards. We wanted to understand how these changes could affect your travel, parking, and access, and whether there are other improvements we should consider in addition to the proposal.
The feedback helped shape the final project, including confirming the need to improve congestion while balancing safety, parking and access considerations. Read the engagement summary report here.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback and help refine the project.
