Get moving: When a motorway is an expressway

By PHOEBE FALCONER

Q: What is the difference between a motorway and an expressway? - David Bentham, Torbay

A: A motorway does not allow pedestrians or cyclists, and you can only get on a motorway at on-ramps and interchanges.

An expressway looks pretty much the same as a motorway, but pedestrians and cyclists can use it, and there is access for people whose properties lead on to it.

For example, north of Mill Rd on the Bombay Hills is a motorway, and south of Mill Rd is an expressway.

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Q: When will the State Highway 20 motorway extension from Puhinui Rd to Manukau be built and completed? - Isaac Broome, Takanini

A: Bit of a long wait, I'm afraid. Tenders will be called for the work this year, and the contract let early next year.

The extension, estimated to cost about $152 million, should be completed by - wait for it - 2009 or 2010.

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Q: A few weeks back, we were treated to the sight of contractors demolishing an unused motorway onramp by Spaghetti Junction. What gives? - Dave Pearson, Devonport.

A: That onramp, which goes by the enchanting name of Ramp B, was originally built to take a link from Dominion Rd to the city.

It was never completed and the ramp was used as a parking area.

Half of it has been demolished, as you rightly note, and the rest will be incorporated into the Central Motorway Junction Project, Stage Two, to carry the new links from the port and from the Northwestern Motorway, under Karangahape Rd to the harbour bridge and thence to the Northern Motorway.

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Q: Common sense says that if all bus services go to one central point such as Britomart there is going to be congestion.

Why can't there be four points with bus stations in the north, east, west and south, linked by a service such as the Link bus? - Brendan Price, Glen Innes.

A: Common sense does indeed say that if all bus services go to Britomart there will be congestion. So they don't.

Most south, east and west buses go to Britomart, but all the North Shore buses go to Victoria and Albert Sts, New North Rd and Sandringham Rd buses go to Victoria St, Dominion Rd, Waikowhai and Benson Rd buses go to the Civic, and Hibiscus Coast buses go to Wellesley and Albert Sts.

These four points are connected by Link, City Circuit and Queen St services.



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