The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) advises all motorists that it will be closing one southbound lane of the Newmarket Viaduct at 9pm on Monday night, and a second lane at 10pm. These earlier-than-usual night closures are required for works associated with the completion of Stage 1 of the Newmarket Connection: Viaduct Replacement Project - the opening of a fourth southbound motorway lane in early 2011.
The lane closures will likely cause delays for those travelling south, therefore motorists are advised to allow more time for their journey on Monday night.
“We’re keeping the viaduct partially open to minimise the inconvenience caused by this necessary work. But motorists should remember that they will be driving through a live construction zone and drive with care for their own safety and that of the project’s construction workers,” says Tommy Parker, NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland.
Regular full and partial overnight motorway closures have been in operation over the last few months as the NZTA makes significant progress on upgrading State Highway 1. However, these closures generally commence at approximately 11pm once traffic volumes have dropped sufficiently.
“Overnight closures don’t simply affect motorists, but the residents along or close to detour routes, so we genuinely appreciate the cooperation and support of all Aucklanders over the course of this important upgrade work,” says Mr Parker.
“”Through our Newmarket Connection and Victoria Park Tunnel project teams, we are liaising closely with all concerned parties to ensure our overnight works are delivered with the minimum level of disruption.”
Scheduled to open in February 2011, the fourth southbound lane from Newmarket to Greenlane is expected to reduce peak hour journey times by up to 5 minutes. When combined with the Victoria Park Tunnel upgrade in mid 2012, journey times will ultimately be reduced by up to 10 minutes.
A short video documenting the recent Southbound Switch weekend, including time-lapse footage of the 800-tonne gantry move, is available to view on the Newmarket Connection project website: www.nzta.govt.nz/newmarketconnection(external link)
