NZTA urges drivers to plan weekend as it extends Maioro St closure

The NZ Transport Agency is advising Auckland drivers that the Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) Maioro Street closure in New Windsor will be extended a further 1.2 kilometres along the motorway to the Dominion Road interchange this weekend.

This extended closure will allow the NZTA and its contractors (Fletcher Construction) to undertake work on a new motorway on-ramp from Maioro Street over Sandringham Road.

The Sandringham Road roundabout will be closed and all northbound traffic will leave the motorway at Dominion Road. Dominion Road will also be the entry point for people driving south to Auckland International Airport, Manukau and beyond. Drivers have the choice of using Dominion Road, Hillsborough Road or Queenstown road as alternative routes.

The extended closure will begin after the afternoon peak on Friday (12 August) and will be lifted before the morning peak next Monday (15 August) when drivers will be able to use Sandringham Road again. The motorway section of Maioro Street will remain closed.

The NZTA ‘s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland, Tommy Parker, says that local support means that the NZTA remains on track to have the interchange upgrade completed and re-opened on time on 22 August.

“It’s been a busy couple of weeks on the project. The local community, schools and businesses, and drivers have been incredibly patient and supportive as we work to complete this necessary work in time for opening,” Mr Parker says.

The NZTA is now half-way through its four-week closure of Maioro Street between Sandringham Road and Richardson Road so that it can accelerate construction of a new motorway interchange and a new Maioro Street and Richardson Road intersection. The last extended closure will take place in the final weekend before the interchange opens to traffic.

Walkers and cyclists, particularly those who access the Ernie Pinches Street footbridge from Maioro Street, are also affected by the closure. They have to access the footbridge from Richardson Road and Malcolm Street. All other foot and cycle access at the intersection remains in use.

The Maioro Street Interchange marks the southern entrance for the Waterview Connection project joining the Southwestern and Northwestern (SH16) motorways. Waterview, which will be the country’s biggest roading project to date, helps complete the Western Ring Route road of national significance which will promote economic growth and jobs in the Auckland region and reduce dependency on SH1 and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

“The four week closure allows us to deliver the benefits of the interchange a lot earlier than originally planned,” says Mr Parker. “The project - with its new half diamond interchange, two new bridges and new motorway on and off ramps - will be open again before the end of August and fully complete before Christmas - three months ahead of schedule.”

ENDS

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