Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency advises that essential repair work on the Penrose Road bridge over State Highway 1 in Auckland will require motorway closures and other traffic restrictions over the next three weeks.
Waka Kotahi Auckland System Manager Andrea Williamson says the work will be carried out over three long weekends, starting Thursday, 9 July.
The southbound lanes of SH1 between Ellerslie-Panmure and Mt Wellington will be closed each night from 10:00pm to 5:00am. A signposted detour will be in place.
On the bridge itself, the eastbound lane will be closed from 9:00pm Thursday to 6:00am Monday, with stop/go traffic management in place.
“Motorists travelling on the motorway or over the bridge can expect delays and are advised to plan ahead, avoid the area and allow extra time for their journeys,” says Andrea Williamson.
The closures over the next three weeks will be:
SH1 southbound between Ellerslie-Panmure and Mt Wellington – closed each night from 10:00pm to 5:00am:
- Thursday 9 July to Sunday 12 July
- Thursday 16 July to Sunday 19 July
- Thursday 23 July to Wednesday 29 July
Penrose Road bridge – the eastbound lane closed with stop/go traffic management from 9:00pm Thursday to 6:00am Monday:
- Thursday 9 July to Monday 13 July
- Thursday 16 July to Monday 20 July
- Thursday 23 July to Monday 27 July
The closures are for repairs to bridge support beams damaged by over-height vehicles on the motorway. In the ten years to 2018, the Penrose bridge was struck 41 times, with 32 hits on the southbound side.
In 2018 a protective steel-plated beam was installed in front of the bridge structure on both the northbound and southbound lanes. This, along with an over height detection system and signage, has protected the bridge from further damage.
“The bridge was inspected after each vehicle strike to confirm the integrity and safety of the structure, but recent inspections have shown some beams need remediation to ensure the resilience and longevity of the bridge.”
The repair work includes cutting out and replacing some beam sections. The road closures are to reduce loadings on the bridge and prevent traffic from causing movement and vibration that would affect the final repair.
“The work is being carried out on weekends when there is less traffic and therefore less disruption. We don’t usually do closures on Fridays and Saturday nights, but we need four consecutive nights to get the job done safely in time to reopen the motorway and bridge for Monday morning peak traffic,” says Andrea Williamson.
“Waka Kotahi apologises in advance for any inconvenience and thank motorists for their understanding while we carry out this essential work on the Auckland motorway network.”
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