17 April 2012

Funding approval gives green light to Tiverton-Wolverton upgrade

Auckland Transport has secured funding for a major upgrade of Tiverton Road and Wolverton Street in partnership with Auckland Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

The NZTA has agreed to fund 53% of the project, which is expected to start at the end of May 2012 and take up to two years to complete.

The upgrade will provide an improved and safer experience for all users of this busy 2.2km stretch of arterial road between New Windsor and New Lynn. It will effectively remove the two-lane bottleneck that currently exists between these areas and will also strengthen connections between New Lynn, Rosebank Road, Lansford Crescent and the SH20 extension at Mount Roskill.

Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton says he is pleased the project now has the green light to proceed.

“This is an essential upgrade that has been in the pipeline for many years and we’re pleased to now have the funding confirmed to deliver it,” he says.

“The project will provide many long-term benefits for people living and working in the area and the commuters and freight-carriers moving through it. In that respect, it is set to deliver real economic value for the region.

“This busy corridor currently carries an average of 31,400 vehicles a day but the upgrade will provide extra capacity for future increases, which will prove vital once construction of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s SH20 Waterview connection begins.”

The Tiverton-Wolverton upgrade involves:

• Widening the existing roads to provide four lanes (two in each direction) from Clark Street East to the intersection of New Windsor Road and Maioro Street

• Improving pedestrian safety by upgrading the existing footpaths to 2.5 metres on the north-side and installing four new pedestrian islands and new pram crossings

• Installing traffic signals at five major intersections to improve traffic flow and provide safe crossing points. The intersections include:
Taylor Street/Wolverton Street
St George Street/Wolverton Street
Blockhouse Bay Road/Tiverton Road/Wolverton Street
Whitney Street/Tiverton Road
Tiverton Road/New Windsor Road

• Upgrading the existing bus shelters along the route

• Undergrounding Vector power and Telecom services

• Upgrading street lighting to the standard expected of a major arterial route

• Upgrading local catchpits and stormwater pipe infrastructure to reduce incidences of localised flooding and cater for the demands of future population growth

• Developing a new cycle route along Miranda Street, Margate Road, Mulgan Street and New Windsor Road that will link with the New Lynn SH20 cycle route at Maioro Street and allow cyclists to avoid a busy commuter and freight route

• Providing shared cycle paths between New Lynn and Miranda Street and between Mulgan Street and Maioro Street.

Whau Local Board chairman Derek Battersby says his board fully endorses the project.

“We’re right behind this essential upgrade, which is going to bring many long-term benefits for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and those living and working along this busy route,” he says.

The successful tenderer for the construction project is expected to be announced next month.

Public information days will be held prior to construction work commencing and these will be advertised shortly. Residents, businesses and schools in the wider catchment area can expect to receive regular communication from Auckland Transport about the project and its expected impacts.

For more information on the Tiverton-Wolverton upgrade, visit www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz or phone 09 355 3553.

About Auckland Transport
Auckland Transport is a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) of Auckland Council. It is responsible for all of the region’s transport services (excluding state highways) - from roads and footpaths, to cycling, parking and public transport.

Among its main tasks are:

• To design, build and maintain Auckland’s roads, ferry wharves, cycleways and walkways.
• Co-ordinate road safety and community transport initiatives such as school travel
• Plan and fund bus, train and ferry services across Auckland.

ENDS

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