New lanes ease city traffic maze

By MATHEW DEARNALEY

Long-suffering motorists crawling on New Zealand's busiest stretch of road, Auckland's central motorway junction, are being given more room.

A fifth northbound lane opened last week between the Gillies Ave on-ramp and the Khyber Pass Rd off-ramp.

And last night, Transit NZ contractors were hoping for fair weather so they could mark a new southbound lane in time for this morning's traffic rush.

Rain on Monday night delayed plans to open it yesterday morning.

The extra southbound lane runs about 1.2km from the Khyber Pass Viaduct, which has been strengthened and widened, to the Gillies Ave off-ramp.

It will be extended north to Hobson St over the next six weeks in the $55 million first stage of Transit's $195 million central motorway junction upgrade project, aimed at easing congestion from an average daily count of about 200,000 vehicles.

The Gillies Ave off-ramp is being doubled to two lanes to make it easier for drivers to leave the motorway.

The road will have five southbound lanes at that point, narrowing to three on the Newmarket Viaduct, to which Transit hopes to add another lane after deciding whether to replace or widen the existing structure for about $20 million.

Until now, vehicles trying to reach the off-ramp from the main motorway have had to move left in a test of nerves and concentration against traffic coming on to the motorway from the Khyber Pass Rd on-ramp.

From today, they can stay in the second lane from the left, from where they can choose between leaving the motorway at Gillies Ave or continuing south over the Newmarket Viaduct.

Project officials acknowledge drivers will still have to watch for traffic approaching from the left, but vehicles joining the motorway from the Grafton Gully on-ramp at the northern end of the Khyber Pass Viaduct will have a longer merging lane.

This is welcomed by freight operator Chris Carr of Carr and Haslam, whose drivers often have their progress from the port stymied by queues on the on-ramp.

"They come steaming up the gully, only to be forced to a stop," said Mr Carr.

Automobile Association spokesman Stephen Selwood was similarly happy about the improvements, but said they would be of limited value until bottlenecks at either end of the motorway junction could be eased.

Motorists can expect continuing night-time closures of sections of the Southern Motorway until January, to allow a complete resurfacing from Upper Queen St to Gillies Ave.

This includes the closure from 11pm to 4am tonight and tomorrow night of all northbound lanes between Market Rd and Wellington St.