Western ring route progressing

Auckland's western ring route will soon have its southern end anchored down with the completion of a $210 million motorway-to-motorway connection through Manukau City.

Although the Transport Agency's $230 million Manukau Harbour crossing duplication project may be more visible to drivers, while being rushed to an early completion in August, the organisation is also looking forward to joining the Southwestern Motorway to State Highway 1 by the end of this year.

The project includes a 4.5km stretch of motorway between central Manukau and Puhinui Rd, and several large bridges such as a flyover from SH1, much of which has been completed without serious interference to traffic flows on existing streets.

But a notable exception will be the closure for five weeks from Saturday of a section of busy Plunket Ave to allow the completion of the last of the project's 12 bridges and motorway lanes beneath it.

Agency highways manager Tommy Parker has acknowledged the inconvenience likely to be caused by the closure, but says the 205m Plunket Ave bridge is an important final structure of the project to be completed. '

'The work will be a significant step towards completion of the new motorway later this year, which will benefit the people of Manukau and provide a vital connection between SH1 at Manukau and Auckland Airport."

The project, which began in late 2006, will be opened in three stages starting with its two southbound lanes in August before the full motorway-to-motorway connection is made available in December.

It will form the southern end of the 48km western ring route between Manukau and Albany.