Lanes closing on Wellesley Street East for cycleway project

Big changes affecting all drivers using Wellesley Street East in central Auckland are planned from next Monday (24 March) for necessary work linked to the NZ Transport Agency’s Grafton Gully cycleway project.

There will be staggered lane closures for almost a month along the  section of Wellesley Street East between the Symonds Street overbridge and the  Grafton Road intersection.  The closures – which start on Monday and  continue until Thursday 17 April - will allow the Transport Agency to start construction  of the cycleway tunnel under the road near AUT and Auckland  University.

• From next Monday  until Thursday (24 - 27 March) the two lanes heading east out of the city  (towards Auckland Hospital) reduce to one lane. Motorway on/off-ramps will not  be affected.
• From Friday  until Tuesday (28 March – 1 April) the four lanes on Wellesley Street East  reduce to two - one in each direction. The State Highway 1 (SH1) off-ramp will  also be reduced to one lane.
• From Wednesday  until Friday (2 April – 4 April) the two lanes heading west into the central  city will be reduced to one lane. Motorway on/off-ramps will not be affected
• From Saturday  until the following Thursday (12 – 17 April) the four lanes on Wellesley Street  East reduce again to two – one in each direction. The SH1 off-ramp will also be  reduced to one lane.

The restricted access will mean some congestion, which will delay  people,” says the Transport Agency's Highway Manager, Tommy Parker. We  will do everything to minimise those delays but people should allow more time  to get where they are going, and be patient.

The partial closures will allow the contractors to complete enabling  works for the cycle underpass.

During the Easter break in late April, there will be a full closure of  Wellesley Street East and the SH1/ SH16 off-ramps.

The Grafton Gully cycleway is a 1.9 kilometre-long extension of the  Northwestern Cycleway and is due to be completed later this year.

Other improvements to the Northwestern Cycleway are also underway on the  Western Ring Route Projects along Northwestern Motorway (SH16) at the causeway,  and the Lincoln Road and Te Atatu Road interchanges. Cycleway improvements are  also part of the upgrade of the St Lukes interchange due to start shortly.

For more information please contact:

Ewart Barnsley 
Auckland/Northland Media Manager 

T:09  928 8720 
M: 027  213 7616
E: ewart.barnsley@nzta.govt.nz(external link)

The  NZ Transport Agency works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders  - from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to  investing in public transport, state highways and local roads.