KEY POINTS:
Halfway between Greville Rd and Constellation Drive, under the electronic motorway sign, all these little holes have appeared. They measure about 10cm and are in perfect alignment. What are they? Craig Fennell, Albany.
The filled-in holes are clamps to help clip the Rosedale Rd overbridge beams together. The overbridge sits on top of the beams, which support the bridge and the vehicles on it. Clamping the beams together strengthens the bridge and prevents the roadway cracking, a most undesirable outcome.
The same clamps are now being installed on the Constellation overbridge and will be finished in time for road resurfacing in the next month or so.
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Are there any plans to build an onramp and/or offramp on the Northern Motorway at Wainui Rd? Alasdair Scott, Torbay.
Oh yes. The project is in the planning stage, with several options being considered, for a northbound offramp and southbound onramp. The developers of a planned subdivision in Silverdale are in on the act as well as Transit NZ and Rodney District Council. Work is expected to begin by year's end.
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I have heard they are going to put a toll on the Greenhithe Bridge at the west Auckland end. Is this correct? The alternative route if you don't want to pay the toll is via Kyle Rd. Also, is the Upper Harbour Drive (State Highway 18) going to stay open as a possible alternative route? Claire Rogers, Albany.
Transit ran a consultation last year on tolling, as a way of raising money and thereby speeding up the completion of the Western Ring Route (WRR). They are still analysing the feedback and no decisions have been made but, under the present idea, the two major bridges on the WRR, Manukau Harbour and Upper Harbour, would not be tolled. On SH18, the concept includes two toll points on new sections of road. One is between Trig and Brigham Creek Rds, with Hobsonville Rd as the untolled option, and the other is between Upper Harbour Bridge and the Albany interchange, with Upper Harbour Drive as the untolled option.