Better connections on Hibiscus Coast Highway, Silverdale

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About the project


We’re upgrading the Painton Road & Hibiscus Coast Highway intersection to ease congestion, improve bus reliability and keep traffic moving— whether you drive, catch the bus, or do both.


This project is part of Auckland Transport’s Network Optimisation Programme and aligns with NZTA’s Silverdale Bus Priority Project. It aims to improve public transport reliability, reduce congestion, and support future growth in the Hibiscus Coast area. These improvements will make it easier for buses to access the station and improve traffic flow.

We’re building a transport system that works better for our whole community – now and in the future.


The changes we're making:

  1. A new bus-only right-turn lane into Painton Road to get buses out of the general traffic lane. This lane will help buses connect with Northern Express services and feeder buses
  2. Re-aligning lanes to make traffic flow better and reduce delays for all vehicles.
  3. Widening the road between Alberto Lane and Painton Road to add an extra westbound lane to help buses and other vehicles heading to the bus
    station to bypass queues from SH1 and travel directly to Painton Road.
  4. Adjusting kerbs, islands, traffic lights and streetlights to support the new layout


Why these changes are needed:

Hibiscus Coast Highway is a primary arterial and strategic public transport route which experiences significant peak time congestion:

  • Peak Time Delays: During the busiest evening hours, eastbound routes face delays of up to 4 minutes, especially when exiting from SH1.
  • Bus Connections: Feeder buses and express services approaching Hibiscus Coast Station often get stuck in traffic on Hibiscus Coast Highway, causing delays and missed connections.
  • Support for NZTA: The new bus lane will support NZTA’s bus shoulder lane on SH1.
  • Improved Westbound Travel: A new through lane at Alberto Lane will improve reliability for buses and vehicles traveling westbound to the Bus Station. This lane will allow vehicles heading to the bus station to bypass queues from SH1 and travel directly to Painton Road.
  • Benefits for Park and Ride: The new lanes will benefit people driving to the park and ride as well as buses.


Benefits to your community

Even if you don’t take the bus, these changes will:

  • Improve travel time & reliability.
  • Ease peak-time congestion, especially for people coming off SH1 or heading through Silverdale.
  • Improve access to the Hibiscus Coast bus station and park and ride for drivers and bus users, making drop-offs and pick-ups smoother.
  • Support growth in your area by improving one of our busiest intersections.
  • Help connect to other transport improvements like the new bus shoulder lane on SH1
  • Make travel more reliable for everyone - fewer delays, fewer bottlenecks


What happens next

Any change to the plan will be updated on this page.

We will be in touch with the local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.


How to contact us

If you’d like to speak to someone about our plans, please email us on ATengagement@at.govt.nz by 10 August 2025.

Feel free to share your local insights or if there's anything we missed, by clicking our comment box below


About the project


We’re upgrading the Painton Road & Hibiscus Coast Highway intersection to ease congestion, improve bus reliability and keep traffic moving— whether you drive, catch the bus, or do both.


This project is part of Auckland Transport’s Network Optimisation Programme and aligns with NZTA’s Silverdale Bus Priority Project. It aims to improve public transport reliability, reduce congestion, and support future growth in the Hibiscus Coast area. These improvements will make it easier for buses to access the station and improve traffic flow.

We’re building a transport system that works better for our whole community – now and in the future.


The changes we're making:

  1. A new bus-only right-turn lane into Painton Road to get buses out of the general traffic lane. This lane will help buses connect with Northern Express services and feeder buses
  2. Re-aligning lanes to make traffic flow better and reduce delays for all vehicles.
  3. Widening the road between Alberto Lane and Painton Road to add an extra westbound lane to help buses and other vehicles heading to the bus
    station to bypass queues from SH1 and travel directly to Painton Road.
  4. Adjusting kerbs, islands, traffic lights and streetlights to support the new layout


Why these changes are needed:

Hibiscus Coast Highway is a primary arterial and strategic public transport route which experiences significant peak time congestion:

  • Peak Time Delays: During the busiest evening hours, eastbound routes face delays of up to 4 minutes, especially when exiting from SH1.
  • Bus Connections: Feeder buses and express services approaching Hibiscus Coast Station often get stuck in traffic on Hibiscus Coast Highway, causing delays and missed connections.
  • Support for NZTA: The new bus lane will support NZTA’s bus shoulder lane on SH1.
  • Improved Westbound Travel: A new through lane at Alberto Lane will improve reliability for buses and vehicles traveling westbound to the Bus Station. This lane will allow vehicles heading to the bus station to bypass queues from SH1 and travel directly to Painton Road.
  • Benefits for Park and Ride: The new lanes will benefit people driving to the park and ride as well as buses.


Benefits to your community

Even if you don’t take the bus, these changes will:

  • Improve travel time & reliability.
  • Ease peak-time congestion, especially for people coming off SH1 or heading through Silverdale.
  • Improve access to the Hibiscus Coast bus station and park and ride for drivers and bus users, making drop-offs and pick-ups smoother.
  • Support growth in your area by improving one of our busiest intersections.
  • Help connect to other transport improvements like the new bus shoulder lane on SH1
  • Make travel more reliable for everyone - fewer delays, fewer bottlenecks


What happens next

Any change to the plan will be updated on this page.

We will be in touch with the local residents and businesses prior to any construction taking place.


How to contact us

If you’d like to speak to someone about our plans, please email us on ATengagement@at.govt.nz by 10 August 2025.

Feel free to share your local insights or if there's anything we missed, by clicking our comment box below


Page last updated: 18 Jul 2025, 10:08 AM