7 February 2019

New Takanini on-ramp merge lane opens to relieve congestion and improve commuter safety

A significant milestone on the Southern Corridor Improvements project will be achieved overnight on Sunday 10th February with the full opening of the new Takanini northbound on-ramp on to the Southern Motorway (SH1).

The NZ Transport Agency’s Senior Manager Project Delivery, Chris Hunt, says the new on-ramp will improve northbound traffic flow, ease congestion and improve safety. It will also ease congestion and queueing on local roads.

“The team has been working hard over the holiday break and January to finish this complex piece of work and regular users of this stretch of motorway will now experience the benefits of this work with a safer, faster and easier way to get on to the motorway.”

The upgraded Takanini northbound on-ramp has been delivered in two stages.

Last September, traffic shifted onto the new loop ramp, however motorists still had to merge onto the motorway using a very short merge lane to join northbound traffic.

The second stage now opening – the creation of a new longer merge lane on the motorway – allows traffic to travel in its own lane for 700 metres before joining the third northbound motorway lane.

“The longer merge lane will enable motorists to get up to speed before joining other motorway traffic. It will be safer for everyone, improve traffic flows and remove a bottleneck for the 40,000 vehicles heading north every day on SH1.”

“The Transport Agency thanks motorists and local communities for their patience and understanding during this construction period.”

Initially the two northbound motorway lanes over the Takanini interchange will remain in the same location with a concrete median barrier dividing them while further work is carried out on the shoulder. These northbound lanes will be moved back to their original position by the end of March 2019, allowing work to move into the central median. A third northbound lane through the interchange will open in late 2019.

The Southern Corridor Improvements Project covers a stretch of SH1 from the SH20/SH1 connection at Manukau down to the Papakura interchange in the south. The project includes additional lanes in both directions and the upgraded Takanini interchange. There’s also a 4.5km shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists between Papakura and Takanini, including a prominent walking and cycling bridge connection over the motorway to connect the Papakura and Karaka communities.

Work is ongoing and the rest of the project will be opened in stages as it is finished, with full project completion later this year (late 2019).

See more at https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/southern-corridor-improvements/

Caption: The new merge lane on the Takanini on-ramp will give north-bound motorists a safer, faster and easier way to get on to the motorway.

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