Motorway boost before Christmas

NZTA Auckland region director Auckland motorists can look forward to better roads and quicker travelling times as the city's motorways are set for a big boost before Christmas.

The NZ Transport Agency has announced earlier than expected completion dates for several motorway projects around the city.

The duplicate Manukau Harbour crossing on the Southwestern Motorway, on State Highway 20, is set to open on July 25, allowing better access to and from Auckland International Airport.

By the end of August, the extension of the Southwestern Motorway and its triple-level connection with State Highway One at Manukau will be open.

Meanwhile, southbound lanes of the new Newmarket Viaduct on the Southern Motorway will be open by the start of September.

The State Highway 20/1 connection at Manukau will be opened in three stages, the first - southbound lanes and direct connections to the Southern Motorway - in August.

The rest of that motorway will be fully operational by December.

NZTA Auckland region director Wayne McDonald says the changes will help ease congestion through the city's central motorway junction.

"I don't think Aucklanders will have seen a year like this in terms of the number of large transport projects coming on stream - their value and impact," he said.

"There will be real gains for everyone using the motorway network. The Southwestern Motorway extension, for example, will eliminate 12 sets of traffic signals."

Mr McDonald called on motorists to keep an eye out for the changes and to begin to plan ahead as a result of the new road layouts.

"We will be doing everything to help keep people informed as we deliver important changes to the motorway network.

"[We're] asking them to plan their journeys and allow a little more time for their trips as they adjust."

Several other big road projects in parts of the city are also set to improve traffic flows.

Those include the addition of a fourth lane on the Southern Motorway across the Newmarket Viaduct to the Greenlane interchange - to be done by early next year - and the strengthening of box girders on the Harbour Bridge. Work on the Hobsonville Deviation and Brigham Creek extension - on State Highway 18 and 16 - is also on schedule.