Subscribe to RSSSth Motorway Closes For 36hrs
A section of the Southern Motorway will be closed for up to 36 hours on the first weekend of September (4th, 5th) for necessary work to open the first stage of the new Newmarket Viaduct.
The motorway’s southbound lanes will be closed between the Gillies Ave off-ramp and Greenlane interchange from 5pm that Saturday for final preparations to allow drivers on to the southbound lanes of the new viaduct from Monday morning, September 6.
The NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland, Tommy Parker, says even a managed closure of a section of the southbound lanes has the potential to cause extensive congestion throughout Auckland and he advises people to stay away from the Southern Motorway that weekend.
“Travel delays will be inevitable, and they will be considerable and widespread” he says.
Detours are planned, but Mr Parker says the alternative routes will not be able to cope if regular weekend traffic flows occur.
“We’re talking about trying to re-direct up to 80,000 vehicles on the Sunday alone,” he adds. “Even with detours, the impact of the closure will be felt well beyond the Southern Motorway and people need to allow a lot more time for their journey if they do have to travel. “
During the closure, the viaduct’s new lanes will be connected to the motorway and the blue lifting gantry shifted on to the existing southbound lanes for stage 2 of the Newmarket Connection: Viaduct Replacement Project.
When traffic is switched, work can also start to complete a fourth southbound lane across the viaduct to Greenlane, due to open early next year.
The weekend before it opens to traffic, people will have the chance to walk over the new viaduct. The community event is planned for Sunday August 29, from 9am to midday.
Other works:
- The Victoria Park Tunnel project is closing the north bound Wellington Street on-ramp for three months from 22 August.
- There will be various closures on SH1, northbound and southbound, between Manukau Interchange and Takanini Interchange, starting tonight.
These closures will be in place so bridge armouring work can be carried out on Orams Road Bridge. This work is part of the Bridge Strike Reduction Campaign, involving physical armouring to the areas where over-height impact is most likely. These works are essential to ensure bridges are protected from damage by over-height strikes.
The work will be carried out at night between the hours of 9pm and 5am, due to reduced traffic volumes and to minimise disruption to road users. NZTA expects the work will take around 6 weeks to complete, and the following closures will be in place during this time:
Week 1 – multi lane closures northbound and southbound – no detour
Week 2 & 3 – full closure southbound lanes, including Hill Road off ramp – detour required + multi lane closures northbound – no detour
Week 4 & 5 – full closure northbound lanes, including Hill Road on ramp – detour required + multi lane closures southbound – no detour
Week 6 – multi lane closures northbound and southbound – no detour
OVERNIGHT MOTORWAY CLOSURES
31 July – 5 August
- The following overnight closures for motorway improvements. Closures start at 8pm and finish at 5am, unless otherwise stated. Work delayed by bad weather will be completed at the next available date, prior to Friday 6 August.
NORTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)
- Northbound lanes between Greville Road off ramp and Oteha Valley Road on ramp 4 August
- Greville Road northbound on ramp 4 August
- Oteha Valley Road northbound on ramp 5 August
AUCKLAND HARBOUR BRIDGE (SH1)
- Curran Street on ramp and Auckland Harbour Bridge northbound lanes one and two 31 July – 5 August (approx 7.30pm – 4am)
- Shelley Beach Road off ramp and Auckland Harbour Bridge southbound lanes one and two 1 – 5 August (approx 10pm - 3am)
CENTRAL MOTORWAY JUNCTION (SH1)
- Wellington Street northbound on ramp 1 – 2 August (approx 10pm – 5am)
SOUTHERN MOTORWAY (SH1)
- Symonds Street/Wellesley Street/Port northbound off ramp 5 August
- Gillies Avenue southbound off ramp 1 – 5 August (approx 10pm – 5am)
- St Marks Road southbound on ramp 1 – 5 August (approx 10pm - 5am)
- Northbound lanes between Market Road off ramp and Gillies Avenue on ramp 1 – 5 August
- Market Road southbound off ramp 3 August
- Greenlane southbound off ramp 1 – 5 August
- Southbound lanes between Manukau off ramp and Takanini on ramp 1 – 4 August
- Northbound lanes between Manukau off ramp and Ti Irirangi Drive on ramp 4 August
- Northbound lanes between Takanini off ramp and Manukau on ramp 5 August
NORTH WESTERN MOTORWAY (SH16)
- Hobson Street westbound on ramp 1 August
- Newton Road westbound on ramp 3 August
- St Lukes eastbound on ramp 2 August
- St Lukes eastbound off ramp 2 August
- Royal Road eastbound on ramp 3 August
SOUTH WESTERN MOTORWAY (SH20)
- Southbound lanes between Dominion Road off ramp and Hillsborough Road on ramp 4 August
- Northbound lanes between Hillsborough Road off ramp and Dominion Road on ramp 5 August
- Queenstown Road northbound off ramp 1 – 4 August
- Southbound lanes between Neilson Street off ramp and on ramp 2 August
- Neilson Street northbound on ramp 2 – 3 August (approx 10pm – 5am)
- Neilson Street northbound off ramp 2 – 3 August (approx 10pm – 5am)
- Neilson Street northbound off ramp 5 August
- Neilson Street southbound on ramp 1 August
- Southbound lanes between Mahunga Drive off ramp and Walmsley Road on ramp 3 August
- Mahunga Drive southbound off ramp 1 August
- Rimu Road northbound on ramp 4 August
- Puhinui Road southbound on ramp 1 – 4 August
LOCAL ROAD
- Rimu Road eastbound and westbound lanes between Coronation Road and Miro Road 4 August
6 Comments
Haha, I will be in New York City by then!
It would be nice if ARTA doubled bus and train frequencies on that Sunday as an alternative, with both the closure and PT services on offer properly promoted.
Andrew - good idea, have a big advertising scheme on it too!!
Can they even do that? I thought track and rolling stock / bus stock frequencies would not allow this? Oh, I guess it is weekend, so maybe compared to the usual weekend frequencies they could…
Of course the buses will struggle getting through Newmarket!!!
They should, and make it free. All Auckland PT travel should be free for that Sunday. It would be a great marketing campaign and rein in some non PT users.
karl - they have to, it’s not really a matter of if they can. The most important part of these projects is they have to keep traffic moving, that’s why they needed to build the bridge they have finished before dismantling the old one (next stage). A normal change of alignment can occur in one night (weather dependent), however in this situation they need to move a massive crane two dismantle the old southbound lanes, and it takes a bit of time.
I think they have done a great job in minimizing the disruption to Newmarket traffic during the construction so far, so credit to Fulton Hogan for the great work.
DanC - Absolutely, I totally agree with you and it would definitely be a good opportunity to encourage PT, free travel would attract plenty, and extra trains to cope may make train travel frequencies reasonable for at least one weekend.