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Northern Corridor Improvements

27 February 2023



	West to north of Auckland direct link now open The new SH18 to SH1 direct motorway connection opened on Thursday 16 February. Motorists coming from the west on SH18 wanting to head north on SH1 are now able to continue their journey without leaving the state highway network. The new link is the penultimate section of the Western Ring Route which will provide people and freight with a second route through Auckland, in addition to travel along SH1 and across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. As part of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route, several major state highway projects have been completed across the last two decades. This piece of the puzzle is an important step towards improving the resilience and performance of Auckland’s transport network, protecting our infrastructure against the elements and providing an alternative route in the event of an incident on SH1. When complete, the alternative route will create more connections, support growth and ensure greater reliability and resilience in the transport network. The direct underpass connection from SH1 to SH18, which is the final phase of the Western Ring Route will be opening in the next few months.



	Update: SH1 to SH18 direct underpass connection Construction of the underpass is on course to be finished in the first few weeks of March. Work will then focus on the commissioning process which needs to be completed before it can safely open. As part of the commissioning process, the underpass is reviewed by a range of technical experts who each have a different focus of interest. This includes a team from Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) as they monitor the Auckland state highway network so it’s important they familiarise themselves with the location of CCTV, signage, exits and fire hydrants in case of emergency. The Auckland System Management (ASM) team including the Tunnel Manager will also visit as they provide the ongoing maintenance of the Auckland state highway network so once the underpass opens it will be part of their responsibility to attend to incidents which could occur. Fire and Emergency New Zealand visit not only so that their teams can also familiarise themselves with the underpass and how it operates but also so that a Fire Engineer can sign off on the fire protection measures in place such as the fire-resistant material used within the structure and the fire hydrants. Testing, review and sign off also needs to be provided for a range of other aspects such as the lighting, line marking and signage to name a few.

To find out more or provide feedback, please contact our Community Engagement Manager Emma Cushnie.

Freephone: 0800 624 776

For more information on the Auckland Northern Corridor project, contact us on 0800 NCI Project (0800 624 776) or at northerncorridor@nzta.govt.nz

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