The first section of the new Rimu Road bridge over SH20 will open to motorists this week. The NZ Transport Agency will switch traffic from the old Rimu Road overbridge to the new bridge overnight on Wednesday 19 November. The Rimu Road overbridge and access onto SH20 will be closed to local traffic between 9pm and 5am to perform this switch.
The work is part of the project to construct a duplicate bridge on the Southwestern Motorway across the Manukau Harbour between Mangere and Onehunga.
Delays are possible so motorists are advised to leave extra time for their journey, especially when travelling to the airport. Advance warning signs will be in place to give early notice of the closure and motorists can listen to radio traffic reports for updates.
Motorists are advised to follow the signposted detours via Walmsley Road and Coronation Road.
The next stage of work will be to dismantle the old bridge piece by piece and then complete the remainder of the new bridge.
The new Rimu Road overbridge is scheduled to be completed by mid 2009. It will feature cycle lanes in both directions, a widened footpath for pedestrians and barriers to improve safety. The road layout will revert to one eastbound and two westbound lanes, one for traffic turning onto the motorway and the other for traffic going to Mangere Bridge village.
“This is an exciting milestone for the both the project and local residents. We will monitor the detour routes during the closure to ensure that traffic flows consistently around the local roads,” says NZTA acting regional manager Tommy Parker.
The NZ Transport Agency thanks motorists for their patience and co-operation while construction takes place.
For more information on the SH20 Manukau Harbour Crossing project, phone 0800 SH20 MHX (0800 7420 649) or visit www.nzta.govt.nz/mhc(external link)
