KEY POINTS:
Could you tell us how long it takes the machine to shift the concrete barrier on the Auckland Harbour Bridge?
The Corbetts, Orewa.
Including the time taken to lay cones and close lanes, the process takes an hour and a half from start to finish. Moving the barrier takes 40 to 45 minutes, and it's done four times a day. Once it's up to speed the machine moves at about 6km/h.
In the morning peak hour, the barrier is moved from its central position into a five lanes south/three north configuration. The reverse happens to allow for the evening peak.
During off-peak times the bridge reverts to four north/four south lanes.
Next year the New Zealand Transport Agency plans to install a new lane barrier machine which will do the job in half the time.
Can you put a little pressure on the NZ Transport Agency to fix the oversize pothole in the Hobson St onramp to State Highway 16? It's at the start of the motorway and occupies almost the entire width of the right-hand lane.
I have phoned NZTA four times in the past two months and if anything the situation is worse.
My third call elicited a partial response - the leading edge of the hole was part-filled with a lump of seal, which has made the situation worse. My little car now lifts slightly before thumping down into the hole.
Councillor Graeme Easte, Auckland City Council.
As your car's suspension will attest, the NZTA has made a temporary repair over the past couple of months. A permanent repair is planned for next Sunday evening or thereabouts.
The shoulders of the Northwestern Motorway from Royal Rd to the SH18 intersection have been coned off, westbound, and barriered off citybound with an 80km/h restriction. There's little or no work going on in these shoulder areas, and their use and speed restriction appears unwarranted. Why is the restriction there, what is happening and when?
Clive Preston-Thomas, Riverhead.
The barriers are part of the first step in the construction of the new SH18 Hobsonville deviation. The barriers create a space in which it is safe for people to do their work, which includes tree removal.
The speed restriction is there because the lane width is reduced, and as an additional safety measure.
Over the coming months, a temporary roundabout with traffic signals will be put in at the intersection of SH16 and SH18 and the on- and offramps for the new motorway will be built. We should start seeing some action next month.
As a regular Onewa Rd commuter, I was pleased to see the new southbound onramp open recently. Any idea when the offramp that was closed last year will re-open?
Nicola Roberts, Forrest Hill.
The old Onewa offramp is still in the process of being demolished. It has been replaced by a new one-way offramp due to be opened in November.
The two bridges that have now been built replace the old two-way bridge that had a really tight corner, which was seen as dangerous to those who could get up enough speed to make it so.
The new bridges are 6m high, to give better clearance for trucks travelling towards Auckland.
