Subscribe to RSSConcern About Motorway Closure
The Newmarket Business Associaiton is questioning why there needs to be an all day closure of Auckland’s SH1 southbound on September 4, which is also Fathers Day.
NZTA has staretd a campaign to warn Auckland motorists that the southern motorway will be closed southbound from Gillies Avenue to Greenlane from 5pm on the Saturday September 4 , all through Sunday and into the early hours of Monday morning. During this time, final preparations will be made to open the new southbound viaduct.
Cameron Brewer says that while a big supporter of the viaduct project, the association believes that the SH1 detour off the Gillies Avenue off-ramp, down Mortimer Pass, onto the southern end of Broadway, and back on at St Mark’s Road will cause serious congestion and backlog along SH1. Mortimer Pass struggles to cope on a busy weekend as it is.”
Mr Brewer is pleased that NZTA will undertake a massive marketing campaign to encourage non-essential traffic to keep clear of the southern motorway and all efforts will be made to divert SH1 traffic southbound well before they get to Gillies Avenue.
“Even if they convince 75% of the 80,000 southbound cars to keep off the motorway or get off before Gillies Avenue, there’s still 20,000 cars trying to get down Mortimer Pass. That is our concern. This is set to cause serious backlog and mayhem. I can’t understand why they need to push it all through a Newmarket side street. I would have Grafton Gully as the last off-ramp and maybe punch through the barrier strip and run one southbound lane down the northbound. It would be slow but at least you’d get some flow.”
He added that the timing was not great for retail which is struggling.
6 Comments
Brewer needs to be told not everything revolves round retailing. Free public transport should be put on for this weekend.
There will be lots of motorists unaware of the closure and will get caught up with it.
I will surely be staying away from that!!!
Patrick - I would hope with all the advertising it would get through to most, even when you are driving along SH20 it is mentioned on the new VMS signs over the motorway.
Plus no need to stay away, as long as you are not traveling by car!
I agree, surely making public transport free for the weekend would be the way to go. Get people out of their cars.
They should use the VMS signs at rush hours to advertise public transport.
I agree with Cameron Brewer and the Newmarket Business Association:
Good to see NZTA are using Facebook and email to communicate with
Aucklander’s regarding the (Southbound) motorway closure…Billboards
too! This will have little effect on the numbers of cars requiring to
travel throughout Auckland on Father’s day most of which will be
caught up in preventable and lengthy delays and congestion and
contributing to stress, frustration and road rage!! I do not believe
the Auckland’s motorway closure was the only option available to
NZTA!
NZTA’s Rationale for motorway closure:
To carry these works out safely and in the shortest possible
timeframe, (read cheapest for NZTA) a full southbound motorway closure
is required.
The financial and impact on businesses in the CBD/Newmarket and
outlying suburbs throughout Auckland , Manukau, North Shore and
Waitakere Cities have not been factored into this “cost”. Again,
Aucklander’s will be not only merely ‘inconvenienced” but businesses
including restaurants and retail (most small businesses) will be
effected significantly in a day which they otherwise might expect
higher than average patronage. Particularly poignant in these tough
economic times!!!
Aucklander’s already contribute more in tax for roading but have
received less investment in roading infrastructure over decades. It
is trite to now say ”Well that’s the price they have to pay for
“progress” or to have the “Newmarket viaduct replaced”…….
I do not believe the gantry cannot be moved and new viaduct cannot be moved and new Viaduct
opened without shutting down Auckland’s major arterial route. Using the Northbound lanes for a South bound traffic will esae the pressure. They
have gone for the quickest and cheapest option for NZTA and expect the
Auckland public to applaud their efforts and put up with the traffic
chaos on Father’s Day.
(Mine is a one handed clap!)
Cheers
Parks White
PS: Murphy’s Law: It will be a very fine day on Father’s Day and
Aucklander’s will be out in force (though not on the South Bound
motorway from Gillies- Greenlane!!) but crawling around every Greater
Auckland City suburb and in Gridlock!! ( I’ll be watching it on TV1
safe at home in Laingholm