New traffic lights at South Auckland’s Bombay Interchange and the adjacent BP Bombay service centre exit were brought into operation for the first time last night.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) began work in September last year to address safety and access concerns at the Bombay Interchange off-ramps and the Bombay service centre exit on Mill Road.

Regional Manager Transport Services Stephen Collett says early engagement with the Franklin Local Board on the SH1 Papakura to Bombay project had highlighted local concerns, and investigations undertaken in response had determined that traffic lights were needed at the interchange in the short term to improve safety.

In the longer term, a full upgrade of Bombay Interchange is planned as part of Stage 2 of the Papakura to Bombay project that will include widening the Mill Road overbridge across SH1 and the approaches each side to four lanes, which will address more capacity constraints.

“We know that installing traffic lights now will not resolve all existing issues, however, the lights will provide immediate and significant safety benefits for motorists using the interchange and service centre. The lights will also enable NZTA to manage queue lengths on the southbound off-ramp to prevent them backing up onto the motorway, as can happen at evening peak times” says Mr Collett.

“It’s great to be able to do something now to help make this busy interchange and service centre safer and more accessible for the many locals and inter-regional travellers that use it every day.”

As part of installing the traffic lights, the project team also widened part of the road, built new traffic islands, relocated underground utility infrastructure and installed new drainage, signs and road markings.

More information about the project can be found here: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/south-auckland-projects/sh1-papakura-to-bombay/bombay-interchange-signalisation/

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