Priority investment in road improvements and projects in the north and south of Auckland will eventually ease major freight and transport bottlenecks, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).

Further public transport funding commitments in the east and west of the city will also help take pressure off already heavily congested road transport corridors, says EMA Head of Advocacy, Alan McDonald.

"The more than $2 billion committed in the region to maintenance operations and pothole prevention will give contractors the ability to hold onto their workforce, as these projects can be quickly ramped up.

"That means those workforces will be available when some of the longer- term projects come on stream.

"We have seen how critical improvements north of Auckland have become as weather events continue to impact on that important link to Whangārei, so kick-starting of Warkworth to Wellsford four-laning is good news for that part of the network but also critical to progress further north around the Brynderwyns and onto Whangārei.

"News that the current stretch from Puhoi to Warkworth may also become a 110kph highway will further improve freight times on that part of the network, although it remains a surprise that tolls end at Puhoi and were not expanded and increased to include the recent extension to Warkworth.

"Similarly, commitments to Mill Rd and Papakura to Drury improve resilience and alternatives heading south towards the critical export port at Tauranga. Further projects south from Cambridge and west and north out of Tauranga will also ease the movement of freight and private transport in another heavily congested region."

Completing the Eastern Busway, delivering a busway to the Airport from Botany and adding a rapid transport corridor to the north-west were also vital links to add to the City Rail Link in enhancing Auckland’s public transport network, says Mr McDonald.

"Enhancing public transport and adding congestion charging are ways we can increase mobility around the city and region without having to try and retrofit more new roads into our under- pressure network."