Transit New Zealand Auckland Regional Office

30 August 2005

Transit New Zealand begins construction on SH20 Mt Roskill Extension

The start of construction on the $169M extension of State Highway 20 through Mt Roskill - a key link in the Western Ring Route - was celebrated with the turning of the first sod today (Tuesday 30 August).

The event marks the start of a major transportation project that involves the construction of a four-lane motorway, dedicated bus lanes, a cycleway and bridges for pedestrians, as well as enabling works for a future rail line.

At the ceremony were the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark; Minister of Transport, Hon Pete Hodgson; Minister for Auckland Issues, Hon Judith Tizard; MP for Mt Roskill, Hon Phil Goff; and Transit New Zealand Chief Executive Rick van Barneveld. Also present were representatives of Ngati Whatua who blessed the project, Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard, and key roading stakeholders.

The four kilometre Mt Roskill extension will form an important link in the strategic Western Ring Route. The ring route will eventually provide an alternative route north from SH1 Southern Motorway at Manukau City via SH20 Southwestern Motorway, SH16 Northwestern Motorway and SH18 Upper Harbour Corridor to SH1 Northern Motorway at Constellation Drive. It will play an important role in reducing central Auckland congestion by enabling traffic to completely by-pass the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The SH20 Mt Roskill Extension will extend the motorway from the existing SH20 Queenstown Road interchange. New interchanges will be created at Hillsborough and Dominion Roads, and local road crossings provided at Hayr Road and May Road. Dedicated pedestrian and cycle bridges will be built at Keith Hay Park and Ernie Pinches Street.

The extension will end at a new roundabout, and a local road will provide a new link between Maioro Street and Sandringham Road via that roundabout. Maioro Street will be widened to a four-lane carriageway that will operate as a clearway during peak hours.

All bridges have been designed to allow for dedicated bus shoulder lanes and the future provision for a rail corridor to pass beneath them on the northern side of the motorway. The project also includes construction of a new Auckland City Council cycleway. The Dominion Road interchange has been designed to accommodate Auckland City's planned rapid transit project along Dominion Road.

The extension will provide considerable relief to those local roads within the road network that are currently carrying large volumes of regional or through traffic.

ENDS

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