Waka Kotahi is pleased to report smooth and reliable journeys throughout the wider Wellington transport network on the second day of operation for Transmission Gully, Te Aranui o Te Rangihaeata.
“Yesterday’s commute for people travelling north was noticeably smoother than normal, without the usual Friday afternoon congestion we normally see as people head out of the city for the weekend,” says Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Mark Owen.
“While we saw more vehicles on key sections of the network yesterday, there was less congestion compared to Friday last week. This is a good indicator that the network and the people using it are adapting well to this fantastic new motorway.
“We’ve also heard from Waikanae residents whose Friday commute from Wellington got them home sooner than ever, giving them more time to enjoy their weekend.
“The benefits of Transmission Gully can be seen throughout the wider Wellington transport network, and we expect this to continue when traffic volumes normalise to pre-Covid levels,” says Mr Owen.
Monitoring shows there were more vehicles on the network yesterday during the 7am to 9am morning peak. Travelling southbound towards Wellington, there were 16% more vehicles than on Friday 20 March, with the vast majority (82%) of vehicles using SH1 Transmission Gully rather than SH59.
“With more vehicles on the road, especially over the weekend, we ask people to continue to be vigilant when they are driving. We’ve seen an improvement in driver behaviour when people are accessing SH1 northbound from the left lane at the Linden interchange, however people driving south continue to perform early lane changes where SH59 and SH1 merge. People driving should wait until they’re near the end of the lane before they merge. This gives everyone more time for a safe and efficient merge,” Mr Owen says.
Find more information on the Transmission Gully motorway page
Find more information on the Wellington Network Operational Readiness page
