Motorists using Auckland’s Southern Motorway through Takanini will be affected by further lane changes next week as work ramps up to make long term improvements to the area.
The changes are part of the NZ Transport Agency’s Southern Corridor Improvements project which is creating extra lanes to ease bottlenecks on State Highway 1.
The width of northbound lanes is being narrowed and the speed limit will be reduced to 80kmh from next Tuesday 22 March between the Takanini Interchange and the Alfriston Road overbridge.
It follows changes to southbound lanes this week (14 March).
In order to prepare the new road markings SH1 northbound from Takanini Interchange to Manukau Interchange will be closed from 10pm to 5am on Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 March. Vehicles will be redirected via Great South Road.
The work is weather dependent and won’t go ahead if conditions aren’t suitable.
“We understand these improvements may cause some disruption and delays to motorists. We wish we could avoid that altogether but there will be benefits in the long term as we create extra lanes to ease bottlenecks,” says Brett Gliddon the Transport Agency’s Auckland Highway Manager.
“Reducing pinch points on the highways will help us keep people and freight moving through this important route and provide more consistent journey times as well as improving safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”
The changes, including lane narrowing, speed reduction and barrier installation will be extended south to Papakura from the middle of April.
They will be in place for approximately a year to create a safe work zone while the extra lanes are built.
“By reducing the lanes we can create safe areas for the construction crews to work throughout the day, not just at night and that means they’ll get the job done much faster with less disruption to residents and motorists overall.”
The $268 million project being delivered by the NZ Transport Agency on behalf of the Government is expected to be completed in 2018. It extends from Manukau to Papakura along State Highway 1 and will improve safety and journey reliability on Auckland’s Southern Motorway. Extra southbound lanes will be completed in early 2017 as part of the Western Ring route construction.
The Southern Corridor Improvements Project is the second of four Government accelerated transport projects in the Auckland region which supports current investment in the Western Ring Route and the regional connections south of Auckland.
More information on the Southern Corridor Improvements project visit: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/southern-corridor-improvements(external link)
