The Puhinui Interchange was officially opened on Saturday, giving Aucklanders easier access to the city's airport.
The combined bus/train station cost $69 million and provides a much-needed link between Auckland Airport and the rest of the city.
The opening was attended by Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, with the station set to open to the public on Monday.
Wood says the interchange will provide "regular and congestion-free access to the airport" via the electric AirportLink bus.
"Thanks to the State Highway 20B upgrades completed earlier this year, the travel time between Puhinui Station and the airport on the AirportLink electric bus will only be around 10 minutes. This will also help travellers avoid pre-flight congestion as air travel picks up," Wood said on Saturday.
"The interchange has been future-proofed for future rail upgrades, including space for additional platforms, and for the Airport to Botany Rapid Transit project, which will add a bus rapid transit bridge to better connect East Auckland with good public transport."
Work on the interchange began in 2019, with funding coming from Waka Kotahi NZTA, Auckland Council, the regional fuel tax and the COVID Recovery and Relief Fund.
It was originally slated to cost $58.8 million but the rising overheads and the impact of COVID-19 on international supply chains drove the price up.
