Auckland Regional Office
8 July 2003
TRAFFIC BULLETIN
Major changes as motorway project extends
Work on Transit New Zealand’s Central Motorway Junction project moves to a new level this month as Stage 1 of the
project is extended north to the Upper Queen Street over-bridge.
The main objective of Stage 1 of the project is to improve the overall efficiency and safety of the motorway between
Symonds St and Gillies Ave.
Work started on the first stage of the project in October 2002 and thus far has focused on the section of the Southern
Motorway between Gillies Ave and the Khyber Pass Viaduct. The recent extension of the project means the scope of work
now includes:
- Widening the Southern Motorway between the Upper Queen Street overbridge and the Gillies Ave off-ramp to allow for one
extra southbound lane, and to make way for extra lanes in the future.
- Widening of structures on the motorway between the Symonds Street and Grafton Road on-ramps (southbound) and the
Khyber Pass viaduct, to allow for future lanes.
- Continuing the Grafton Road on-ramp as a separate southbound lane, eliminating the current merge.
- Establishing an extra southbound lane between the Khyber Pass on-ramp and Gillies Ave off-ramp, allowing traffic to
enter and exit without merging with motorway traffic.
- Providing two lanes along the Gillies Ave off-ramp to increase capacity.
- Establishing an extra northbound lane between Gillies Ave on-ramp and Khyber Pass off-ramp, allowing traffic to enter
and exit without merging with motorway traffic.
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 Stage 1 in 2005.
Although work will be focussed on the Southern Motorway, some work, and associated lane closures, will be required on
the State Highway 16 connections to and from the port, which pass under the Southern Motorway.
The next major change to come into affect will be the reduction to one lane of the State Highway 16 connection to the
port from Wednesday 9 July until early 2005. To enable the installation of the lane closure, this connection will be
closed for two nights, Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 July from 10pm until 5am . The SH16 connection from the port will also
remain reduced to one lane until January 2005.
Closures of on and off-ramps, motorway lanes, and local streets in the area will also continue over the coming months:
- The Khyber Pass on-ramp (southbound) will be closed regularly at night throughout the duration of the project, and
will be closed every Sunday 7am to Monday 6am, until the end of July.
- There will be ongoing north and southbound lane closures on the Southern Motorway between the Gillies Ave on and
off-ramps and the Symonds Street over-bridge for the duration of the project. During these closures at least one lane in
each direction will remain open to traffic.
- The Gillies Ave off-ramp (southbound) will be closed each night from 11pm until 6am, Sundays through to Thursdays,
until late July.
- There will be ongoing night closures of Khyber Pass Road and Boston Road (from 9pm until 6am) until mid-2004.
Details of all changes will be outlined in advertisements in The New Zealand Herald and local newspapers, and on the
Transit New Zealand website.
More information on specific changes and the project in general can be obtained from the project information centre at
the corner of Stanley Street and Alten Road, Grafton (open 8.30am – 5.30pm, Mondays – Fridays), by phoning the project
office on 0800 ToFreeflow (0800 863 733) or by visiting the Transit website: www.transit.govt.nz.
Ends