It's happening - planners approve Frankton bus and roundabout projects
Major upgrades of Frankton's bus station and the BP roundabout have now been approved by Queenstown Lakes District Council planners.
Yesterday, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's outline plans to expand the bus interchange were given the go ahead.
That follows approval last month for the SH6 / SH6A / Frankton Road intersection, known locally as the BP roundabout. It will be replaced with a traffic lights junction, featuring new bus lanes and improved access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Around 27,000 vehicles pass through the BP roundabout on an average day, according to NZTA figures, while an estimated 15,000 per day use the bus hub.
Both projects are part of the $115 million Queenstown New Zealand Upgrade Programme, which includes a new roundabout at the hazardous Howard's Drive junction, where traffic turns off Ladies Mile for the Lake Hayes Estate subdivision.
The aim of the whole project is to improve traffic flow along SH6 and SH6A, between Frankton and Lake Hayes, and provide better road conditions for buses and active travel. That includes installing 18 sets of traffic lights.
The works are being delivered via the Kā Huanui a Tāhuna alliance, which has been responsible for the overbudget Queenstown Town Centre Arterial Stage 1 project.
The bus interchange expansion itself includes new and upgraded bus shelters, more bus bays, dedicated bays for tourist buses, taxi stands, new entry and exit points on to SH6, a new information and ticket booth, and facilities for drivers.
The road itself will be widened, with land taken from Frankton Golf Centre and trees removed, and there will be bus lanes and also additional bus stops on the golf course side of the road.
Frankton BP roundabout and the surrounding approaches will be extensively remodelled - see diagram.
Early render of the BP roundabout upgrades - and the approved outline plans below. Photo: Waka Kotahi / NZTA
Waka Kotahi has been approached for comment. The agency has not yet set a detailed timeline around when the works will take place. They are likely to cause major disruption at what is Queenstown's busiest intersection.
Back in December 2022, when the project made its first step towards acquiring the necessary land, Waka Kotahi Project director Richard Osborne the existing roundabout is "known pinch point for congestion".
"As growth continues in the district pressure on the state highway network will continue," he said.
“The plans for Frankton aim to increase capacity by providing more space for public transport helping to encourage people on to buses.”
