Improvements to the Nelson/Union Street and Hobson/Pitt Street intersections will start on Sunday as part of the Nelson Street Cycle Route, a joint project of the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport.
The work has been divided into three zones with the first expected to take three weeks to complete. Zone 1 work will take place at night from 7pm to 5am, Sunday to Thursday and includes upgrading pedestrian crossings and traffic signals as well as resurfacing pavements to make the route smoother for cyclists.
Zones 2 and 3 will follow consecutively with the intersection upgrades expected to be completed by October.
Brett Gliddon, the Transport Agency’s Auckland and Northland Highway Manager, says “This project is part of a joint initiative with Auckland Transport, Auckland Council and the Transport Agency to create a well-connected network of cycle routes in Auckland over the next ten years. The Nelson Street cycleway will provide an alternative route between Upper Queen Street and the CBD and waterfront, as well as link to the Northwestern and Grafton Gully cycleways - giving cyclists more choice and better, safer connections to, from and within the city centre.”
The first stage of the cycle route is expected to open later this year and will see the construction of a bridge from Canada Street, connecting with the old Nelson Street motorway off-ramp and continuing as a separated two-way cycleway along the road on the western side of Nelson Street to Victoria Street.
The next stage will extend the separated cycleway from Victoria Street down to Quay Street and will also provide a link along Pitt Street to join Karangahape Road and Union Street and completion is expected midway through next year.
For more information on the project go to the project website: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/network/projects/project.html?ID=271(external link)
Diagram showing the upgrade programme.
