The new McClymonts Road Bridge over the Northern Motorway at Albany will be finished over the next three weeks as the first activity to kick start the Northern Corridor Improvements project after the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Senior Manager Project Delivery Andrew Thackwray, says the work will take place while traffic flows are lighter.

“We’re aiming to get this work underway when we can minimise the inconvenience to the local community and those bus commuters needing to use Albany Station.”

McClymonts Road will be fully closed between Don McKinnon Drive and Medallion Drive roundabouts, including the intersection of Elliot Rose Avenue from 8pm Friday, 1 May to 5am Friday, 22 May.

Northern Express buses will continue to run with a diversion in place via Oteha Valley Road. Detours for drivers and pedestrians will also be in place.

A new road surface will be laid on the bridge and the finishing touches added to the roundabouts at each end. Traffic will then be switched across on to the new bridge. The old bridge will be demolished later this year.

The old McClymonts Road bridge has had to be replaced with a new longer bridge so the motorway underneath can be widened with extra traffic lanes.

The new bridge will reconnect the community between Pinehill and Albany. It includes lanes for vehicles as well as a walking and cycling path on each side. It will enable people to walk and cycle safely across the bridge and directly into the nearby Albany Station and business area.

Mr Thackwray says small crews will be working on the bridge under strict health and safety measures as part of COVID-19 Alert Level 3.

“Workers will be separated in their own bubbles for each work site, working to new COVID-19 risk mitigation safety procedures which include stringent conditions of entry onto the work site for authorised people only.”

Drivers will also notice changes to the temporary layout of SH1. The northbound lanes between Upper Harbour Highway (Constellation Drive) and Greville Road will go back to their usual layout from Monday 4 May. The southbound lanes will be adjusted towards the new median barrier.

This marks the end of another major traffic switch to enable work to continue on the new underpass, which is being built under the SH1 motorway. Work will also progress on replacing a section of the bridge over Rosedale Road.

The Northern Corridor Improvements project will provide a much-needed transport upgrade for the whole Albany and North Harbour community. It includes a proposed busway station, over 7kms of walking and cycling paths, a new motorway connection between SH1 and SH18 and will open up access to the Western Ring Route and travel to the airport.

For more information on the restart of state highway work at Alert Level 3, visit the Q&A page.

For project information visit www.nzta.govt.nz/nci or www.facebook.com/NZTAAkl or call the freephone number 0800 624 776.

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