Back to work but it'll take a bit longer

Auckland Transport and Vector power company contractors digging up Quay St are bracing themselves for Monday. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Auckland Transport and Vector power company contractors digging up Quay St are bracing themselves for the Monday return to normal city traffic volumes.

Extensive reconstruction of the busy waterfront street - which is being combined with power supply and telecommunications upgrades - is one of several disruptive roadworks which will greet Auckland commuters returning from their summer holidays.

But road contracting spokesman Mike Isle yesterday praised motorists and local businesses for their tolerance since the road was reduced to one eastbound and two westbound lanes between Lower Albert and Tangihua Sts just after Christmas.

General traffic was able to use both westbound lanes in the initial weeks of the project, which is expected to continue until mid to late-March, but one has been reallocated to buses only during the morning traffic peak.

Mr Isle said it was important to keep the lane free for emergency purposes as well as to maintain efficient public transport.

He expected Tangihua St and Customs St to remain important diversionary routes from Monday

"There is obviously going to be some congestion, disruption and delays, but as long as people know about it ahead of time and why it's being done, we believe they will be willing to tolerate it as a short-term project," he said.

Quay St is being rebuilt with new pavement which Auckland Transport says will have a 25-year design life as Vector finishes laying new electricity cables and ducts for its own purposes and for telecommunications.

It is taking advantage of the road reconstruction to complete the second and final stage of a project which caused months of traffic disruption in 2008, and which has this summer included the removal of a small services tunnel which was laid in 1920 and has reached the end of its life.

Traffic restrictions will remain in place after Monday on several other busy arterial roads and motorways.

Other road works include:

The Southern Motorway will be closed in both directions between the Highbrook and East Tamaki interchanges from 9pm until 5am for four weeks from Sunday, for work to protect two road bridges crossing over it.

The Transport Agency warns motorists to expect delays along detour routes, which could add up to five minutes to journey times.

Night-time closures of northbound motorway lanes which began this week through St Marys Bay will resume on Sunday and continue until Wednesday, for the installation of signs and removal of redundant overhead gantries as part of the $406 million Victoria Park tunnel project.

The eastbound lane on Kepa Rd will remain closed for reconstruction work between Patteson Ave and Kohimarama Rd until February 7, putting extra pressure on Tamaki Drive.

Road reconstruction will resume tonight and run 24 hours a day until Friday next week on Green Lane East, from Ascot Ave until just before the motorway intersection, meaning lane restrictions and occasional minor detours.

Reconstruction of Alpers Ave in Newmarket, a busy one-way feeder to the Gillies Ave motorway on-ramp, will keep it reduced to one lane until next Friday.

In South Auckland, roads across the southern railway line will remain closed so reconstruction of four bridges can continue.