Four-week motorway link closure begins

The link road between the end of the Southwestern Motorway and Maioro St in New Windsor will be closed tonight for four weeks. Photo / Martin Sykes

Drivers face weeks of frustration travelling through Mt Roskill from tonight, when a key motorway link closes for enabling works for the $1.85 billion Waterview connection project.

"The works are significant and there will be delays," Transport Agency regional highways manager Tommy Parker warned yesterday of the impact of closing the link road between the end of the Southwestern Motorway and Maioro St in New Windsor for four weeks.

"The best advice for drivers is to avoid the Maioro St motorway link and use alternative routes around the city."

Traffic will still be able to use the motorway itself and its connection with Sandringham Rd, except for the weekends of July 29 to 31 and of August 19 to 21, when it will be closed back to Dominion Rd.

But the closure of just the link to Maioro St will cause major disruption as it is used for more than 28,700 vehicle trips a day, being a primary route for Waitakere residents who work in Auckland's eastern and southern industrial zones, including the airport.

The Transport Agency is recommending they leave the motorway on their homeward trips at Dominion Rd, then head south to Richardson Rd, which is already a busy route at peak times.

It is closing the link to allow construction of the first half of a new interchange through which Maioro St will be extended in a direct line over the motorway to Stoddard Rd, and which the agency hopes traffic can start using on August 22.

The interchange will ultimately be of a full diamond configuration, marking the southern gateway of the proposed part-tunnelled Waterview motorway connection.

Mr Parker said the four-week complete closure replaced an earlier plan for a series of phased shutdowns over ten to 12 weeks.

Although no special measures have been planned to ease vehicle flows through alternative routes, he said a close watch would be kept on the area and traffic lights could be altered remotely if needed.

Creating no-parking clearways along detour streets would be a last resort which he hoped would not be necessary.

Maioro St closure
Between the Sandringham Rd roundabout at the end of the Southwestern Motorway and Richardson Rd.
From tonight until Sunday August 21.

Normal traffic volumes on the link: More than 28,700 vehicle trips a day.

Closure of the full motorway back to Dominion Rd:
Weekends of July 29-31 and August 19-21