Transit Regional Office
Auckland
28 October 2003
MEDIA RELEASE

Transit awards largest motorway construction contract

The single largest roading construction contract in Auckland has been awarded by Transit New Zealand for the upgrading of the main section of Central Motorway Junction which lies at the heart of the city’s motorway system.

A design and construct contract has been awarded to a joint venture comprising Fletcher Construction and Leighton Contractors (one of Australia’s largest construction companies) with design work subcontracted to consultants Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner. Overall project costs are expected to be about $140M for the 27-month contract.

The Central Motorway Junction (CMJ) Stage 2 ‘core’ project involves upgrading the existing motorway junction of State Highway 1 and State Highway 16 (Spaghetti Junction), improving capacity and completing the links between the Northern, Northwestern and Southern motorways, as well as access to Grafton Gully and the port.

“All existing ramps and links, with the exception of the current righthand off-ramp at Nelson which will be replaced with a safer lefthand off-ramp, will be retained,” says Transit Regional Manager, Wayne McDonald. “The addition of the new links, will result in a more efficient system that will provide nine on-ramps, eight off-ramps and four motorway-to-motorway connections.”

Currently, traffic volumes through the CMJ average 200,000 vehicles per day, and major delays and congestion are being experienced both on the present motorway system and local streets in the area due to the inefficiencies of the junction.

Mr McDonald says that construction work will begin in January and is expected to be completed in April 2006.

Stage 1 of the upgrading of CMJ, a $55M project - to widen the approaches to and from the junction along the Southern Motorway from Gillies Ave to Symonds Street - is well underway and due for completion in January 2005.

The awarding of the latest CMJ contract is a further step-up in motorway improvement activity in Auckland and sees projects worth more than $400M underway. “These, and further planned motorway projects, are consistent with the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy’s objective to improve the region’s motorway and public transport links,” says Mr McDonald.

This construction work also includes:

- The Puhinui interchange on SH20, an important element in the strategic Western Ring Route, was recently completed. The $14.5M grade-separated full diamond interchange replaced the Puhinui roundabout which had been one of the major causes of congestion in Manukau City and South Auckland.
- Work began earlier this year on constructing a $37M duplicate bridge across the upper harbour on SH18.
- Work starts next month on the $95M, 5km Greenhithe section of the Upper Harbour Motorway which will link the North Shore to Waitakere as part of the Western Ring Route.
- Work on the $67M Grafton Gully project – providing improved access from the CMJ to the port and improved access between the CBD and the hospital and Domain - will be completed in December, under budget and five months ahead of schedule.

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