Major road upgrade milestones for North Shore

April 24, 2007

The first phase of North Shore City Council’s Lake Rd upgrade is due to begin this weekend, as another major road project – the Esmonde Rd upgrade – nears completion.

The first phase of the project involves work on the Lake Rd/Esmonde Rd intersection, including widening the southern corner to allow two left-turn lanes into Esmonde Rd.

“We will begin by removing some trees and other vegetation and shifting fences on the council-owned property on the corner,” North Shore City’s corridor projects manager, Graham Nell, says.

“Contractors will then widen the corner of Lake Rd, creating space for two left-turn lanes into Esmonde Rd. The intersection will also include a dedicated bus lane and a cycle lane.

“The remaining land will eventually become a ‘pocket park’, including some transplanted existing trees.”

When the new intersection is complete, work will begin on progressively widening Lake Rd between Esmonde Rd and Hauraki Corner. The project is expected to take about three years.

“This is due to the complexity of the project, with work such as undergrounding power lines, relocating the underground gas mains and upgrading the existing water mains expected to take a year before we can begin the actual road widening,” Mr Nell says.

As the Lake Rd upgrade begins, the final stages of the Esmonde Rd upgrade will get under way.

“We’re due to finish laying the final smooth hot mix surface on Esmonde Rd between Lake Rd and the motorway interchange over the next two weeks,” Mr Nell says.

“Resurfacing should take about a week, depending on the weather. Most of the work will be done at night, and we will ensure lanes are kept open during peak times.

“When the new surface is down, we’ll paint new road markings and begin landscaping work.”

The Esmonde Rd upgrade has included undergrounding utilities such as power and phone lines, widening the road to allow two traffic lanes and a cycle lane each way, and adding a raised central median. Landscaping will include lining the road’s edges with pohutukawa trees.

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