SH1 Papakura to Drury

Construction update

5 July 2024

Construction update | He pānui

Kia ora

While winter has well and truly arrived, construction on the site continues at a steady pace.  The increased rainfall has seen our team put additional environmental controls in place to prevent contaminated water from entering nearby waterways and ensure our compliance with Council regulations.

Similar to last month, a sizeable portion of our construction works have again been done at night as they require motorway closures for everyone’s safety and to minimise disruption.  Last month our team successfully completed the installation of the central section of the three, large stormwater box culverts.  The pavement and barrier teams are now in the process of completing the pavement over the top of them.

The culvert team's focus this month will be on the final stage – installing the last small sections to form continuous culverts under the full width of the motorway.

Our Beach Road crew has also made good progress and is nearing completion of those works.  They expect to complete building the concrete traffic islands and moving traffic lanes into their final configuration this month, paving the way for the final asphalt surfacing scheduled for October/November.

Last month we also began installing large overhead gantries on the motorway.  Due to their size and position, these gantries require full motorway closures (not just in one direction) for safe installation - read on for more details. 

An overhead gantry being installed on the southbound side of the motorway, north of Papakura Interchange.

Information for motorists | Ngā tohu āwhina

Overhead motorway gantries to provide essential information to guide drivers on the motorway are being installed.

So far, three gantries were successfully installed in June:

Southbound Lanes:

• The first gantry, located approximately 900m north of the Papakura Interchange, features signage for "EXIT 458 Beach Rd Papakura EXIT ONLY," "SERVICE CENTRE EXIT 2km," and "SOUTH Hamilton."
   
• The second gantry, situated just north of Park Estate Road bridge, displays directions for "SERVICE CENTRE EXIT ONLY," "Great South Rd Drury EXIT 2.3km," and "SOUTH Hamilton."

Northbound Lanes:

• The final gantry installed last month is situated just south of Park Estate Road bridge.  This overhead structure provides directions for "EXIT 458 Beach Rd Papakura EXIT 1km."

Two remaining gantries, spanning all motorway lanes, are scheduled for installation this month:

• Largest gantry for the project: This impressive structure, measuring a full 50.6m in length, will be installed just south of Papakura Interchange.  Southbound drivers will see signage for "SERVICE CENTRE EXIT 2km," while northbound drivers will be directed towards "EXIT 458 Beach Rd Papakura" and "NORTH Auckland."
   
• Dual-lane gantry with VMS: Located south of the Park Estate Road bridge near the BP Service Centre, this 40.8m gantry will feature a variable message sign (VMS) on both the northbound and southbound sides of the motorway.  These electronic signs can display dynamic information for drivers, such as traffic updates or lane closures.

Breaking out existing concrete traffic islands on Beach Road.

Beach Road update | Pānui ki Beach Road

Our Beach Road crew has been working nights for the past month and will continue to do so in July.  Their dedication has paid off, with the successful completion of all major works on the southern side of Beach Road, including the shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists.

Last week the team also installed another concrete traffic island in its permanent location, situated on the Papakura southbound off-ramp.

This month, the focus shifts to the central median traffic islands.  While some work remains on the traffic island across the overbridge, significant progress is anticipated. This stage involves installing stormwater drainage pipes, a crucial step for improving stormwater management.

Once the central median islands are completed, along with some guardrail installation, all major construction on Beach Road will be finished. Minor works such as kerb installation and hand-laid asphalt placement will follow.

The final asphalt pavement works, scheduled for October/November, will take advantage of warmer weather.  This final layer will be a strengthened asphalt material that resists the increased braking, acceleration and turning forces that occur at intersections and ramps, thus ensuring a safe driving experience for motorists.

Removing an old streetlight on the Papakura (Karaka) northbound on-ramp.

Closure, lights, pavement! | Ngā mahi ia te pō

While many construction activities for this project can be conducted during the day or night, installing streetlights on the motorway must be done at night with motorway closures in place for safety reasons.  Fortunately, traffic volumes are lower at night so less motorists are affected during these essential closures.

To date, the project team has installed 128 new streetlights.  This month, our focus will be on completing the installation of streetlights in the central median of the motorway, north of the Papakura Interchange.  To get this done as fast as possible, the team have installed temporary steel barriers on both sides of the motorway so that these works can be done during the day wherever possible, and nights when needed, while providing safety for everyone involved.  Behind the barriers, a trench was cut in the pavement on the northbound side of the motorway which allowed us to install cables for these streetlights. These works are scheduled to be completed in early August.  Once this stage is finished, several streetlights will be installed south of the interchange.

Asphalt pavement works also primarily occur at night as this wouldn't be safe on live traffic lanes during the day and would cause extensive disruption.  Asphalt paving will continue throughout the project as needed, with the final layer scheduled for October/November when the warmer weather has arrived – however the lanes will be moved into their final configuration before this in September.  That final layer will be a porous asphalt specifically chosen to enhance water drainage from the road surface, which reduces spray and road tyre noise for the benefit of motorists and residents alike.

Asphalt being laid on the southbound side of the motorway, north of Papakura Interchange.

Latest photos from site | Ngā pikitia

We are working across the site, with lots of pavement and asphalt works; and installing stormwater box culverts.

Looking ahead | E haere ake nei

During the coming months, our project works include:

• Final surfacing works on Beach Road
• Continue installing final box culvert sections on the southbound side of the motorway
• Final surfacing work (asphalting) on both northbound and southbound sides of the motorway, starting in October/November. 

Contact us | Whakapā mai

For further information regarding the project please contact our team:

P: 0800 796 796 or text 027 703 5284 - for construction-related queries
P: 0800 741 722 - for general project queries
E: p2b@nzta.govt.nz
W: www.nzta.govt.nz/p2b

You can also visit the Papakura to Drury project site office during normal business hours (weekdays 8am-5pm) at 25 Tegal Road, Drury.