Major works on Northwestern Motorway this Easter

The NZ Transport Agency is advising drivers that there will be significant roadworks on the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) at both the St Lukes and Te Atatu interchanges this Easter weekend, from Thursday 2 April to Tuesday 7 April.

• The St Lukes Road overbridge will be closed to all vehicles from 8pm Thursday 2 April to 5am Tuesday 7 April.  Contractors will work around the clock to safely build up the existing road levels and construct the approaches to the new, higher overbridge.  Pedestrian access across the bridge, as well as the cycleway, motorway, local roads and public transport links in the area will remain open throughout the weekend.

• At the Te Atatu interchange both of the citybound onramps will be closed from 10pm Thursday 2 April to 5am Tuesday 7 April.  In addition, the citybound motorway at Te Atatu will be reduced to one lane during the day (5am to 10pm) and closed each night (10pm to 5am). These closures are necessary to lower the Te Atatu citybound motorway on-ramp and raise a portion of the motorway, near the bridge.  Pedestrian access across the bridge, the cycleway and westbound motorway will be unaffected.

“Easter typically has much lower than normal traffic volumes which is why we are taking advantage of the long weekend to complete these large and disruptive sections of work,” says the Transport Agency’s Auckland and Northland Highway Manager Brett Gliddon. 

“If people are planning to stay in Auckland, traffic will be heaviest between 10am and 2pm on the Saturday and Monday, so making alternate plans for travel, particularly during those times, is recommended.”

Drivers are advised to use the available diversion routes during the weekend which will be signposted and advertised on the website: www.nzta.govt.nz/wrr(external link)

In the St Lukes area, attractions such as MOTAT and Auckland Zoo will be open as usual with their planned events during the Easter weekend.  Please see www.MOTAT.org.nz(external link) and www.aucklandzoo.co.nz(external link) for more information. Regular parking will be available.

Once open on Tuesday 7 April, the two left-hand motorway lanes underneath Te Atatu Road overbridge will be moved slightly to the north with the third lane remaining in the same location.  This will tie in with the recent citybound lane changes between Te Atatu Road and Rosebank Road. 

This work is part of the Northwestern Upgrade to link the Northwestern (SH16) and Southwestern (SH20) motorways providing a motorway alternative to SH1 known as the Western Ring Route. 

The St Lukes project is widening a two kilometre-long section of the Northwestern Motorway from three to four lanes in each direction. There will also be improvements to the on-ramps and exits and the St Lukes Road overbridge spanning the motorway will be widened for the benefit of drivers, walkers and cyclists.  Work began in June 2014 and is scheduled for completion by late 2016.

The Te Atatu project is widening the five existing motorway on-ramps and exits at Te Atatu interchange and improving access for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.  It is also widening the Northwestern motorway between the Te Atatu interchange and Henderson Creek and is due to be completed in December 2016.

For more information on the Western Ring Route, visit:
Project: www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/wrr (external link) 

Highway information: www.highwayinfo.govt.nz(external link) and freephone 0800 444 449
Get free email alerts on a specific route by signing up to www.onthemove.govt.nz(external link)
Auckland roads and public transport: www.at.govt.nz(external link)

For more information please contact:

Jan McCarthy
Media Manager - Christchurch

T: 03 964 2885
M: 021 427 442
E: jan.mccarthy@nzta.govt.nz