Contract awarded for the SH20A to Airport project

The NZ Transport Agency’s commitment to getting Auckland moving was reinforced yesterday as contracts were signed with the MHX Kirkbride Alliance to deliver the SH20A to Airport project.

The contract signing marked a significant milestone in the history of the project, five years after initial designs were developed to separate SH20A from local traffic at the intersection of Kirkbride Road.

The MHX Kirkbride Alliance, comprising NZ Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, Beca, and Higgins Contractors are now tasked with finalising the design and gearing up for construction in the New Year.

“Yesterday’s announcement is the result of a fast-tracked process to get one of Auckland’s four accelerated projects underway so we can keep people and freight moving efficiently,” says the Transport Agency’s Highway Manager Brett Gliddon.

The Agency’s decision to award the contract to the MHX Kirkbride Alliance is due to their previous work on the Manukau Harbour Crossing and their demonstrated track record in delivering projects on time and on budget.”

Key features of the project include the construction of a trench that will carry SH20A – the main route to and from Auckland Airport – under Kirkbride Road, new facilities on local roads for walkers and cyclists, a fully segregated cycleway on SH20A and the provision for future bus shoulders on the state highway.

The trench under Kirkbride Road is designed to integrate with future rail, and the bridge over the trench will house Watercare’s Hunua 4 watermain.

Benefits of the project include improved journey time reliability to and from the airport, efficient freight movements across Auckland, enhanced community connectivity for the local community and improved safety for all road users at Kirkbride Road.

The SH20A to Airport project is one of four transport programmes that are being accelerated by the Government to help manage the projected growth in population, jobs, and freight in Auckland. The others are the East West Connection on the north side of Manukau Harbour, and improvements to the Northern and Southern Corridors along State Highway 1.  

Construction is scheduled to begin in January and will take two years to complete.