There will be changes to the lane layout for northbound traffic through the Southern Corridor at Takanini as the NZ Transport Agency progresses work on improving State Highway 1 through the area.
The road layout will change overnight on Tuesday 12 June, with an overnight closure of the motorway between the Takanini Interchange and Manukau. New lanes will be painted on the road in time for Wednesday morning commuters, says the Transport Agency’s Senior Manager Project Delivery, Chris Hunt.
The lanes will be realigned to create a safe work zone just after the northbound off-ramp at Takanini for approximately 1km. The new lane layout will be in place for about nine months.
For drivers travelling northbound through the Takanini Interchange (SH1), the two lanes will be realigned and separated by a median barrier. The two lanes will be separated before the northbound off-ramp and will join again just north of the on-ramp. In this area, motorists will be unable to switch lanes.
The left-hand (slow) lane will be realigned, with traffic moving across into the right-hand lane. The right-hand lane will move further to the right into the area currently occupied by the southbound carriageway. A median barrier will also separate north and southbound traffic.
The traffic switch will allow the team to safely work on the side of the motorway and build new bridge structures, which currently go over Great South Road, the railway line and Papakura Stream. The new structures will become the new Takanini northbound on-ramp and third additional motorway lane.
The 80km/h speed limit will remain in place and there will be no change to the number of lanes operating.
Customers are encouraged to keep to the speed limit, drive to the conditions and take extra care when driving near the construction zone, especially during the winter months.
The upgrade of the Takanini Interchange will help reduce known safety risks, particularly at the northbound merge onto the motorway. Last year, the team opened the new Takanini southbound off-ramp with a dedicated lane off the motorway, which has made it easier for customers exiting at Takanini. The new and improved Takanini interchange is due to open in stages next year, starting with the new Takanini northbound on-ramp in early 2019.
Work on the Takanini Interchange is part of the Southern Corridor Improvements Project which covers the stretch of the Southern Motorway (SH1) from the SH20/SH1 connection at Manukau down to Papakura in the south. The project includes additional lanes in both directions to improve journey times and ease congestion and a 4.5-kilometre shared use pedestrian and cycling path. The project is due for completion in late 2019.
For more on the project, visit https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/southern-corridor-improvements/
