Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

SH1 Papakura to Drury

Construction update

4 July 2025


 

Surveyor Alofa (at left) and engineers Cody (centre) and Shea (at right) on site where piles are being driven for the first of the new SH1 bridges being built over Slippery Creek / Otuuwairoa Stream.

Construction update | He pānui

Kia ora

We're shaking things up a bit, trialling a new format that includes more pictures and less words.  We hope you like the change!

This update takes you on a tour to show some of what's been happening across the project over the past month.  Do get in touch if you have any queries – our contact details are at the end of this update.

 

 

South of Drury Interchange

Last month we established a new working site in the central median of the motorway, south of Drury Interchange.

In the photo above (of Drury Interchange, looking north), earthworks are underway that will enable us to then begin pavement construction.  Once completed, in the coming months southbound motorway traffic will be shifted into this central median, which will open up the area needed on the eastern side to install services and build new permanent pavement for realigning the motorway eastwards.

 

 

Drury Interchange

We are setting up a new construction site at Drury Interchange following last month's closure of the right-turn lane from Great South Road onto the Drury southbound on-ramp.  Closing this lane has freed up the working space we need to build a new (and higher) motorway bridge over Great South Road and realign the Drury southbound on-ramp over to the east.

In the photo above (of Drury Interchange, looking west), earthworks are underway in the triangle gore area between the southbound off-ramp and the motorway.

 

 

SH22/Great South Road

At SH22/Great South Road, we are busy installing underground wastewater pipes.  The worksite above on the south side of SH22 beside Mercer Road is relatively small and very tight, but we must upgrade numerous underground utility services before traffic lights can be installed at the realigned Victoria Street/SH22/Mercer Street intersection.

 

 

Bremner Road at Ngaakooroa Stream

We have almost finished building this temporary steel truss bridge over Ngaakooroa Stream, with final works expected to finish in July.  We are also building the new roading approaches to each side of this bridge.

Once this temporary bridge is carrying Bremner Road traffic, we will demolish the existing bridge over the stream.  We can then begin building a new permanent (and higher) bridge over Ngaakooroa Stream.

 

 

Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream

We began piling works for the new permanent SH1 southbound motorway bridge over Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream last month.  To strengthen the ground to bear the weight of the new bridge and motorway alignment, we are also making significant ground improvements here by driving universal column (UC) steel piles straight into the ground.  These UC piles vary in length from 6.5 metres to 10.7 metres.

 

 

Motorway median north of Drury

At night we are continuing with pavement construction in the central median of the motorway between the BP motorway service centre and Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream.  We are looking forward to this stage of work being completed so traffic travelling in both directions can be shifted onto it.

This future traffic shift will allow us to upgrade and relocate a range of underground utility services and enable pavement construction to begin on both motorway shoulders.

 

 

Additional works coming on SH22

Following the activation of the new traffic lights at the SH22/Great South Road intersection (above) on 23 June, additional improvements will begin later in July as follows:

  • adding a left turn slip lane from SH22 into Great South Road, and
  • extending the length of the merge lane (from two lanes back to one) on SH22 after the traffic lights.

To minimise traffic disruption, these works will be undertaken at night under a single lane closure (the left lane) on SH22.

 

 

Looking ahead | E haere ake nei

During the coming months, our project works include:

  • Continuing with underground service investigations around Drury Interchange including on the motorway, Great South Road, SH22, Bremner Road, Victoria Street and Mercer Street
  • Working to realign the Victoria Street intersection with SH22 before installing traffic lights
  • Continuing with installation of underground services on Victoria Street, north of the Drury Sports Complex carpark
  • Continuing earthworks either side of Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream in preparation for road widening and bridge building works
  • Continuing with construction works in the central median of the motorway between Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream and the Quarry Road motorway overbridge
  • Beginning construction of a small noisewall, north of Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream
  • Beginning to build a new SH1 bridge over Slippery Creek/Otuuwairoa Stream
  • Continuing earthworks and piling in the triangle gore area between the Drury southbound off-ramp and the southbound motorway lanes.
 

 

Contact us | Whakapā mai

 
 

For further information regarding the project, please contact our team:

We thank you in advance for your patience during these important motorway upgrades.

Kind regards | Ngā mihi
The SH1 Papakura to Drury team