Auckland motorway closures next week

Work on the tunnel project. Photo / Natalie Slade

The country's busiest motorway will be closed for short periods from next week as engineers install a new overhead sign gantry as part of a new $340 million tunnel project to ease traffic congestion.

The Auckland motorway from the harbour bridge through St Mary's Bay to the central motorway junction will be closed to north bound traffic on Tuesday night and in both directions on Wednesday night while the gantry is installed.

North bound traffic will be affected again on Thursday night and for several days the following week.

NZ Transport Agency acting state highways manager for Auckland and Northland, Steve Mutton, said late-night drivers, particularly shift workers, should plan for the closures and allow extra time to get home or to work.

All closures would end at 5am, avoiding disruption to morning peak traffic flows.

He said the gantry would span 10 motorway lanes from the St Mary's Bay cliffs to Westhaven Drive.

The Victoria Park Tunnel project is one of seven roads of national significance, identified by the Government as essential to New Zealand's economic prosperity.

- NZPA