Final repairs to West Auckland’s flood-damaged roads underway

West Auckland residents are relieved that final preparations are finally underway to fix roads that were damaged during the 2023 storms.

At the start of that year, West Auckland’s roads suffered major damages due to floods during the Auckland Anniversary weekend and Cyclone Gabrielle.

Auckland Transport says that permanent repairs have started on West Coast Road and works are expected to last approximately three months, depending on the weather.

West Auckland resident Graeme Gash says that repairs have taken “longer than is ideal” despite residents lobbying.

Gash, who lives near the damaged road and a slip along the West Coast Road, is pleased that preparations are finally underway.

West Coast Road has remained open since the storms with two lanes of traffic flowing.

“So much time has elapsed [since the floods] that it’s all a bit meh. However, it’s good that something is finally being done,” Gash says.

Communications and engagement principal for North-West Auckland, Bernadette Fatu, says Auckland Transport will complete extensive drainage works on either side of the road to help direct water in heavy rainfall as a part of final preparations.

She says that AT will rebuild a retaining wall for the slip and repair the culvert and pavement.

“When prioritising slip repair, we have been working to restore access to communities who have had their only access point compromised or cut off as a priority where possible,” Fatu says.

According to Auckland Transport, it had fully repaired 715 sites throughout the Auckland region 81 per cent of all, by the end of February this year.

Auckland Transport’s flood repair initiative across the Auckland region costs $390 million and is expected to be fully completed by 2026.

Major repairs across West Auckland have included West Coast Road, Karekare Road, Lone Kauri Road, Scenic Drive near Arataki, and Piha Road.