Major changes on Southern Motorway

Transit New Zealand advises all motorists that major changes on the Southern Motorway between the Gillies Avenue and Khyber Pass on and off-ramps come into affect from today (Monday 21 July), as part of its Central Motorway Junction upgrade project.

The northbound shoulder between the Gillies Ave on-ramp and the Khyber Pass off-ramp will be closed from 9pm tonight. It will remain closed until early 2004 to allow for work on the western side of the motorway. Temporary barriers and screens will be installed this week to separate traffic from the construction area.

Delays are expected initially as motorists adjust to the shoulder closure and the installation of barriers and screens as seen on the southbound shoulder for the past 10 months.

The southbound shoulder will continue to be closed until late July 2003; however cones will replace the barriers and screens.

Other changes in the Khyber Pass/Gillies Avenue area also come into effect today:

The layout of the Gillies Avenue on-ramp (northbound) will be changed from tonight, reducing the ramp to one lane. The on-ramp will be closed from 9pm until 5am each night from Monday 21 July to Thursday 24 July.

Almorah Road (a local road that runs parallel to the motorway) will be closed to all through traffic from today until the end of the year to allow access to the motorway construction site.

A number of other closures of on and off-ramps, motorway lanes, and local streets in the area will also continue over the coming months:

The left hand shoulder on the Wellesley Street and Port off-ramps (northbound) from the Southern Motorway is closed until the end of the year to allow for work under the Southern Motorway to take place. Temporary barriers and cones are in place along the shoulder.

The State Highway 16 connections to and from the port and Grafton Gully remain reduced to one lane until January 2005. These closures are required to allow access to structures under the Southern Motorway.

The Khyber Pass on-ramp (southbound) will be closed from 7am every Sunday through to 6am every Monday until the end of July. The on-ramp will also be closed regularly at night until mid 2004.

There will be ongoing north and southbound lane closures at night on the Southern Motorway between the Gillies Avenue on and off-ramps and the Symonds Street over-bridge until until 2005. During these closures at least one lane in each direction will remain open to traffic.

There will be ongoing night closures of sections of Khyber Pass Road and Boston Road (from 9pm until 6am) until 2005mid-2004.

Stage 1 of the Central Motorway Junction upgrade project covers the section of motorway between the Upper Queen Street overbridge and Gillies Avenue on and off-ramps, and is scheduled for completion in 2005.

The extension of the project means that there will be intensive construction activity, and major changes for motorists, from mid July through to the completion of the first stage in 2005.
Other changes that will come into affect in July and August will include:

„PThe Wellesley Street off-ramp will be closed to all traffic on the night of 14 July, and will be reduced to one lane until January 2005.
„PThe barriers and screens that have separated southbound traffic from construction activity since September 2002 will progressively move to the northbound side, to allow work to continue on the other side of the motorway. The northbound shoulder between the Gillies Ave on-ramp and the Khyber Pass off-ramp will be closed from mid July until . The southbound shoulder will re-open to traffic when this move is completed.
„PWork will move to the median area of the Southern Motorway from late July. This will include the removal of existing concrete barriers and the installation of temporary barriers and screens in the middle of the motorway. Both north and southbound lanes will be re-marked to allow for four lanes in each direction. This will involve major changes for northbound motorists from early August.
„PAlmorah Road will be closed to all traffic, including residents¡¦ vehicles, from early August until the end of 2003.

More information on the project in general can be obtained from the public information centre at the corner of Stanley Street and Alten Road, Grafton (open 8.30am ¡V 5.30pm, Mondays ¡V Fridays), by phoning the project office on 0800 ToFreeflow (0800 863 733) or by visiting the Transit website: http:// http://www.transit.govt.nz.

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