NZ Transport Agency – Auckland Region

5 September 2010 – 10:25am

Southern Motorway To Re-Open Early

The NZ Transport Agency advises that the southbound lanes of the Southern Motorway will reopen ahead of schedule today. The process of lifting the motorway closure is expected to commence over the next two hours, with a view to fully reopening the motorway by midday. However, Aucklanders are advised not to drive this morning unless essential, as travel delays are still likely while traffic management measures and detour signs are removed across the city.

The early re-opening has been made possible by the faster than expected relocation of the 800 tonne ‘Big Blue’ construction gantry, which was shifted from the new Newmarket Viaduct to the old southbound lanes overnight. Motorists heading south on State Highway 1 are reminded to be aware of the changed motorway layout and visual distractions, and to drive with extra caution as they head across the new southbound Newmarket Viaduct.

“We’ve made excellent progress working hard through the night, and we’re pleased that we'll be able to open the motorway earlier than we anticipated. We understand that people will be keen to get back in their cars, but we do ask for just a few hours more patience, as traffic on local roads may well remain congested for a while as traffic flows return to normal,” said Mark Walker, NZTA’s Traffic Operations Manager for Auckland & Northland. Travel information will continue to be updated over the remainder of the closure at the project’s website, www.nzta.govt.nz/newmarketconnection and at www.facebook.com/switchmyroute. A time-lapse video showing the gantry’s overnight relocation will also be uploaded to the Facebook page shortly.

That the NZTA is able to reopen the motorway so quickly is testament to a hitch-free relocation of the imposing ‘Big Blue’ gantry overnight. Hydraulic ramps were craned into place to allow the 800-tonne, 140-metre long structure, normally accustomed to moving up and down the viaduct, to be painstakingly pushed across from the structure it has just built, to the one it is about to start dismantling.

“Moving a piece of equipment like this is a hugely complex and risky undertaking, around which we had planned for every possible contingency in case we struck problems along the way,” explains Ian Harbeck, project manager for the NZTA’s construction team, NGA Newmarket.

“To have successfully relocated it in one single shift, allowing the new viaduct to open early is great news for Auckland, and it reflects the skills, experience and patience of our dedicated construction team.”

The NZTA thanks all Aucklanders for their patience, support and cooperation over the course of the closure. Drivers are reminded that a reduced 70 km/h speed limit still applies in both directions across the new and old Newmarket Viaducts.

ENDS

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