KEY POINTS:
While driving back from Thames last weekend, I noticed that the Mangatawhiri deviation looks as though it's progressing well. Light standards are being put in and crash barriers are up. When will it be finished and open? Dawn Wilson, Grey Lynn.
How timely. Completion is expected in October. The deviation will be a two-lane highway stretching from the Mangatawhiri Bridge to the Maramarua Golf Course, bypassing Mangatawhiri village and lots of dodgy and twisty bits of road. There will be separate 1.8km and 2km passing lanes at the east and west end of the deviation.
Construction began with earthworks in late 2006, and the project is costing $45.9 million.
Work is under way to connect the eastern and western ends of the deviation to State Highway 2. This should take about three weeks.
NZ Transport Agency regional manager Kaye Clark says that when the contractor - Multiplex Engineering (NZ), with HEB Smithbridge - gets a decent run of fine weather it will complete the final sealing on the deviation.
When this happens, traffic will be shifted on to the deviation for short periods to help bed the seal down. It will probably take another month or so after the sealing is finished before the road is open fully to traffic.
The footpath at the Balmoral Rd end of Ruapehu St has been closed for more than a month because of a huge hole. This makes it impassable without walking out into the road. Nothing has happened at the site for weeks, and nothing indicates who is responsible, why the hole was dug, or why it has been abandoned. V. M. Fergusson, Balmoral.
How timely
2. Actually it's only timely because of my tardiness, but nevertheless, here's the answer. The hole was made by Vector Networks to use as a point of reference while tracing a fault in one of its cables. The last of the investigations will be done today and the hole will be filled tomorrow.
For a long time, there have been workmen digging up Anzac Ave, for the "central connector". They are installing cables etc underground. Is this a signalling system? It would be interesting to know what we're going to get. Helga Arlington, Auckland.
This is for the relocation, installation and upgrade of various services, mainly telecommunications cables and water mains. This "dig once" approach is intended to ensure the road and pavements won't need to be worked on again in the near future.
Other work taking place in Anzac Ave is related to improving footpaths and lighting and putting in trees and street furniture.
The road will be widened to allow for a 24-hour bus lane.
Traffic lights will be installed at pedestrian crossings and other pedestrian safety measures will be set up.
The eastern side of Anzac Ave is nearly finished, and work has just begun on the western side. It should all be finished by November.
The central connector is a dedicated 24-hour bus and cycleway connecting the CBD and Newmarket via Auckland City Hospital, the Domain and Auckland University. The project is due for completion in early 2010.
