Consultation, Public Open Days and even a website coming up

 

In Budget 2014 we heard from the Minister of Finance that the Government was loaning $375m to NZTA to accelerate a suite of motorway upgrades in Auckland that would have otherwise taken a decade longer before they were even started.

Expanded commentary on the Budget 2014 in regards to the Southern Motorway upgrade can be found here: Southern Auckland and Manukau – An Omnibus – Post Budget and here: Takanini Interchange to be upgraded.

A brief recap from that post

Southern corridor motorway projects proposed for acceleration:

* Three-laning State Highway 1 southbound Hill Road to Takanini
* Six-laning State Highway 1 Takanini to Papakura
* Takanini northbound onramp improvements
* Takanini Interchange upgrade
* Four-laning State Highway 1 southbound, State Highway 20 to Hill Road
* Benefit-to-cost ratio: 6.8
* Proposed construction period: 2014/15 – 2016/17
* Expected cost: $210 million

[Source: “Budget 2014: Auckland transport projects get boost“ ]

 

As a result of the Budget announcement I had sent some questions to NZTA seeking more information about the Southern Motorway upgrade. The questions were:

• Concept designs especially for the Takanini Interchange
• Has public consultation been done on the project, or when will it be done if so in the near future
• Possible timeline – especially if the project is being staged rather than in one big push
• Any cooperative work with Auckland Transport around the Takanini Interchange such as the facilitation for cycle lanes or paths, and bus lanes

 

NZTA yesterday replied back with the following from those questions on the Southern Motorway upgrade:

We are currently developing the design for the Southern Corridor Improvements project, which covers the stretch of Southern Motorway from the SH20/SH1 connection (Manukau) at the northern end to Papakura in the south.

The Southern Corridor Improvements project incorporates:

• Southbound widening
  • to four lanes between SH20 and Hill Road
  • to three lanes between Hill Road and Papakura
• Northbound widening
  • To three lanes from Papakura to Takanini
• Intersection improvements
  • Takanini Interchange
• Cycling improvements (feasibility study underway)
  • Along Great South Road under Takanini
  • Along the State Highway corridor [locations to be confirmed]
• Safety improvements
  • Improved safety barriers
  • Improved lighting
  • Bridge improvements

 

• The Transport Agency is also investigating incorporating an additional fourth lane heading northbound between Hill Road and the SH20/SH1 connection and as part of the Southern Corridor Improvements project, along with upgrading the Hill Road interchange.

• Future improvements will see an additional third lane in both directions between Papakura and Drury (longer-term plan)

The Government recently allocated funding to this project and it is now following an accelerated programme, with construction scheduled to begin in late 2015.

Consultation with key stakeholders, including Auckland Transport is underway and public consultation will take place at the end of July.

Open days will be advertised in the local papers. Our website is going live in the next week or so and will be regularly updated with information on the project 

——

Note: I have not stuck the web address up yet as it is not live. Once it is live I will stick it up in the blog.

My thanks to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for replying back to the email. Very much appreciated not only for myself (yes I do live in Papakura and use the Southern Motorway regularly) but also readers who are from the South like me and/or use that section of the Southern Motorway on a regular basis. Will be seeing you at your Open Days when they rock up.

 

So from what we can see above is that the upgrade will be as I have previously noted before. NZTA are conducting feasibility studies to get cycle-ways both alongside the Great South Road at the Takanini Interchange (with Auckland Transport doing their part as part of the South Auckland cycle network). Of note I see NZTA are preparing for 6-lane-ing the Southern Motorway from Papakura to Drury in the long-term. While something that did cause me to raise an eyebrow being NZTA looking at a fourth lane between Hill Road and the Manukau Interchange (SH1/20) with Hill Road Interchange also being upgraded. I have wondered in my travels along that stretch of motorway whether the fourth lane northbound needs to be brought back from the Orams Road bridge back to the Hill Road interchange. That fourth lane currently is a dedicated feeder into the State Highway 20 entrance at Manukau and traffic gets a bit funny around there with quite a few lane changes.

 

Again for our public transport advocates out there we do have the following on its way for the South:

• As a result of the certainty with the Takanini Interchange, Auckland Transport can start the work around upgrading the Great South Road in the area and adding those bus lanes (completion around 2017/18 when the interchange is done?) 
• The Manukau South Rail Link is currently working through processes in the main Council rather than Auckland Transport. As I noted in an earlier post it illustrates we are going through the final hurdle to have the South Link built and running. A public announcement from Auckland Transport on the South Link was due in a few months
• Modelling for the Pukekohe Electrification project which includes currently two new stations (Paerata and Drury) is about to get under way. With a bit of luck the wires should reach Pukekohe allowing the electrics to run there by 2017 at the latest (I believe the resources required for this project have already been set aside or nearly set aside) [Note: I am aware of the Mayor looking to strike this project out of the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan owing to “budget constraints.” I will keep an eye on this and advocate very strongly against any striking out or delays to the Pukekohe Electrification Project.]
• Station upgrades as apart of a larger package continue. This does include Takanini Station and a revamp of the Papakura Station Park and Ride. More can be seen HERE
• The new South Auckland Bus Network starts next year with improved and more frequent bus services for the South. This includes feeder services to rail and/or transport interchanges and “through” buses such as the ’33’ Great South Road service 
• The Southern Line gets the electric trains next year and with it at least 15 minute all day frequencies. You can see more on this HERE. Although that said without the third main we are still prone to freighters breaking down
• In regards to the bus lanes around the Great South Road in Takanini I will be flicking an email to Auckland Transport on any updated stand on this from them next week. The current bus lane intention stems from a previous conversation I had with them at the time the South Auckland Bus Network was out for consultation. [note: still have to get that email sent through to AT]

Source: Southern Auckland and Manukau – An Omnibus – Post Budget

 

I will be submitting in support of the Southern Motorway upgrade package (unless something goes really amiss by NZTA) when the consultation round starts end of July. I will also be attending the open days to have a “first look” at the project and its implications for the South.

Again I am in general support of the Southern Motorway Upgrade package as part of a wider suite of transport improvements (public, active, private and freight) for Southern Auckland. Construction starts late 2015 so we are nearly there folks.