A fourth southbound lane has opened on Auckland’s Southern Motorway from the SH20/SH1 merge to the Hill Road off-ramp.

The opening of the new lane this morning is a significant milestone for the Southern Corridor Improvements (SCI) project, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Acting Senior Manager Project Delivery, Stephen Collett.

“The final realignment of southbound lanes including the opening of the fourth southbound lane to Hill Road will help traffic flow more freely through this section of the motorway network, easing a bottleneck and providing more reliable trips for road users,” Mr Collett says.

The switch of northbound lanes into their final realignment from the current temporary layout north of Hill Road is also scheduled to be carried out early next week, weather permitting.

Final road resurfacing and line marking works in both directions between SH20 and Hill Road will continue following the lane switches and are scheduled to be completed by the end of November.

Lanes will remain under temporary traffic management until all works on this stretch of motorway are completed. Drivers are encouraged to keep to the 80km/h speed limit, avoid sudden lane changes and take extra care.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and CPB Contractors thank local residents for their patience during these improvements to the Southern Motorway.

The Southern Corridor Improvements project extends from Manukau to Papakura and includes additional lanes in both directions, an upgraded Takanini Interchange, a new shared use path alongside SH1 and a recently installed pedestrian bridge at Pescara Point.

For more information visit: www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/southern-corridor-improvements or call the project freephone number of 0508 NZTA SCI (0508 6982 724).

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