19 March 2014
Lanes closing on Wellesley Street East for cycleway project
Big changes affecting all drivers using Wellesley Street East in central Auckland are planned from next Monday (24
March) for necessary work linked to the NZ Transport Agency’s Grafton Gully cycleway project.
There will be staggered lane closures for almost a month along the section of Wellesley Street East between the Symonds
Street overbridge and the Grafton Road intersection. The closures – which start on Monday and continue until Thursday 17
April - will allow the Transport Agency to start construction of the cycleway tunnel under the road near AUT and
Auckland University.
• From next Monday until Thursday (24 - 27 March) the two lanes heading east out of the city (towards Auckland
Hospital) reduce to one lane. Motorway on/off-ramps will not be affected.
• From Friday until Tuesday (28 March – 1 April) the four lanes on Wellesley Street East reduce to two - one in
each direction. The State Highway 1 (SH1) off-ramp will also be reduced to one lane.
• From Wednesday until Friday (2 April – 4 April) the two lanes heading west into the central city will be reduced
to one lane. Motorway on/off-ramps will not be affected
• From Saturday until the following Thursday (12 – 17 April) the four lanes on Wellesley Street East reduce again
to two – one in each direction. The SH1 off-ramp will also be reduced to one lane.
“The restricted access will mean some congestion, which will delay people,” says the Transport Agency’s Highway Manager,
Tommy Parker. “We will do everything to minimise those delays but people should allow more time to get where they are
going, and be patient.”
The partial closures will allow the contractors to complete enabling works for the cycle underpass.
During the Easter break in late April, there will be a full closure of Wellesley Street East and the SH1/ SH16
off-ramps.
The Grafton Gully cycleway is a 1.9 kilometre-long extension of the Northwestern Cycleway and is due to be completed
later this year.
Other improvements to the Northwestern Cycleway are also underway on the Western Ring Route Projects along Northwestern
Motorway (SH16) at the causeway, and the Lincoln Road and Te Atatu Road interchanges. Cycleway improvements are also
part of the upgrade of the St Lukes interchange due to start shortly.
For more information please visit www.nzta.govt.nz
ENDS