Transit New Zealand
Wellington Regional Office

Media release
14 December 2006

Traffic Overbridge at MacKays Crossing opens to traffic

The MacKays Crossing overbridge will be opened to two-way traffic from early afternoon Friday, 15 December.

The sequence of the opening of the road to 2 way traffic will be as follows :
1. (early morning Friday) - southbound traffic will be diverted along the southbound lane over the bridge.
2. (early Friday morning) - the existing concrete barriers at the north end of the alignment will be moved back to their original position and new roadmarkings will be installed.
3. (early Friday afternoon) - tie in road marking will be carried out at the north end to enable northbound traffic to flow once the barriers have been repositioned.
4. (early Friday afternoon) - northbound traffic will be diverted onto the new alignment over the bridge.
5. (early Friday afternoon) – the road markings will be completed at the southern end of the diversion over the overbridge.

The speed limit over the overbridge will be 70km/h. All of the loose chips will be swept off the road before Friday, so Transit is advising motorists that there is no need to slow down because of flying chips.

There may be some delays experienced when the two lanes from the Raumati Straights merge into one lane at MacKays Crossing but this should no greater than what was experienced before works commenced.

Project Manager Terry McGavin said: “The 24,000 motorists who use State Highway 1 daily will finally experience the benefits of the new MacKays Crossing rail overpass on 15 December.”

“They can finally say goodbye to delays due to trains at the crossing or barrier malfunction. We thank the public for their patience and wish them safe driving over the Christmas/ New Year holidays. We are urging vehicles to pay close attention to the new road layout. Traffic will now access Queen Elizabeth II Park over the new off ramps,” he said.

ENDS

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