Sun Sets On Successful Summer In Auckland
30 March 2012
NZ Transport Agency –
Auckland Regional Office
NZTA Says
‘Thanks’ As Sun Sets On Successful Summer In
Auckland
As daylight saving ends this weekend, the NZ Transport Agency is thanking Auckland’s drivers and communities for their patience and support during its busy and successful summer season of motorway improvements across the city.
“Summer may have been a disappointment to some because of the unsettled weather, but from our point of view it’s been a very successful season with some notable achievements,” says the NZTA’s acting State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland, Steve Mutton. “One reason for our success has been the tremendous support we have had from drivers and communities in Auckland, and they have played a very important role in helping us attain our goals.”
Mr Mutton says the NZTA’s programme included a full range of transport activities: motorway openings, new starts, upgrades and improvements, demolitions, and supporting projects undertaken by the NZTA’s transport partners. The milestones include:-
November
•
Opening the first two lanes of the Victoria Park Tunnel on
SH1 in central Auckland
December
• Newmarket’s
northbound and southbound viaducts were successfully
“stitched” together.
• Removal of the
Auckland Harbour Bridge’s existing surface, cleaning of
the deck plate and a new surface on some of the northbound
clip on lanes.
January
• Opening
the Victoria Park flyover to four lanes of southbound
traffic and easing morning congestion
•
Demolition of the Selwood Avenue Bridge as part of the
Lincoln Road interchange improvements on the Northwestern
Motorway (SH16)
• Closing a section of the
Southern Motorway to switch traffic to the new northbound
Newmarket Viaduct, and completing the switch 17 hours ahead
of schedule
• Construction of a trial causeway
on the Northwestern Motorway – the first stage of a
project to widen and raise this section of SH16 as part of
the Western Ring Route.
February
• Start of construction
of Auckland Transport’s AMETI (Auckland Manukau Eastern
Transport Initiative) project. The NZTA will fund just over
half of the $1.56b project to improve road and public
transport links
• Construction starts on the
Westgate foot and cycle bridge is underway to provide safer
access across the Northwestern
Motorway
March
• Start of
construction to improve the Papakura interchange on Southern
Motorway
• Third Victoria Park Tunnel lane and
additional fifth lane through St Marys Bay open, and
significantly improving travel times during afternoon
peak
Mr Mutton says the NZTA;’s
acknowledges that the unprecedented level of work has caused
disruption for residents, businesses and travellers.
“It is never easy constructing projects inside a city. Our most effective way of saying ‘thank you’ is to deliver benefits for everyone: safer and more reliable travel to move freight and people around Auckland; breathing new life into community amenities like the Rob Roy Hotel; improving access for walkers and cyclists.”
Mr Mutton says the NZTA still has much to do in Auckland: completing the Waterview Connection – New Zealand’s biggest-ever roading project – and the Western Ring Route – both projects are on the Government’s list of roads of national significance –improving travel on other sections of the city’s motorway network and providing drivers with more information to help them plan their journeys.
“As we play our part in helping the city thrive and helping the economy to grow we will continue to depend on the same level of support and goodwill that Aucklanders have given us in this past summer,” says Mr Mutton”
ENDS