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SH1 Papakura to Drury

Construction update

3 October 2025



	Engineer Shea (left) and site foreman MJ (right) checking sheet piling progress at the northeastern Slippery Creek site. Construction update \| He pānui Kia ora Although spring has officially arrived, the weather hasn't quite caught up yet — periodic heavy rain has continued to challenge our progress on site. Despite the setbacks, there's been plenty happening across the SH1 Papakura to Drury (P2D) project over the last month. Read on for a picture-based update of progress across the project over the last month. Do get in touch if you have any queries about the works shown in this issue or any other aspect of the P2D project – our contact details are shown at the end of this update.



	Slippery Creek / Otuuwairoa Stream On the southeastern side of Slippery Creek / Otuuwairoa Stream, we have completed installing the ground improvement piles. The team is now using embankment fill to raise the ground above the ground improvement piles up to the level needed for the new motorway alignment. On the northeastern side of the stream, we've started installing temporary sheet piles. We are also bringing in aggregate to create a working platform (see above) before starting bulk earthworks and installing ground improvement piles, similar to works done on the southeastern side. Further north, we are progressing well on building the new noisewall. Last month, we began installing the concrete panels (see below) and will continue doing this throughout October.



	Bremner Road at Ngaakooroa Stream We have been installing underground services near the northern end of Victoria Street that will be attached to the new temporary steel truss bridge where it crosses Ngaakooroa Stream. In the photo above, a 450mm watermain (at right) is being temporarily relocated to connect to the pipe already installed on the temporary bridge. After Bremner Road traffic is switched onto the temporary bridge (expected in November), we can start dismantling and demolishing the existing bridge over the stream. That work will begin later this year and continue into early next year. This month, we will continue with underground utility services cutovers (switching from existing to new) and diversions on Bremner Road as well as building pavement for the road approaches either side of this temporary bridge.



	Drury Interchange At Drury Interchange, we have been focusing our work on the two triangle southbound gores (see top half of the photo above) where the abutments and bridge piers will be built for the new SH1 bridge over Great South Road. We continue to carry out bulk earthworks in the northeastern gore and have also started similar works in the southeastern gore. We also completed a 'stone column' trial, which is the method we will use to retain piles for the new motorway bridge over Great South Road. A stone column is a hole in the ground filled with compacted crushed stone. It acts like a pillar within the soil, improving the ground's load-bearing capacity and drainage. Last month, we also started installing 'soil nails' on the southbound side of the motorway beside the off-ramp (see photo below). Soil nails are used to support the earth and will strengthen the concrete face of a retaining wall needed to widen this section of the motorway. We will continue this work during this month.



	SH22 / Great South Road Our works on the northern side of SH22/Great South Road by the southern end of Victoria Street are nearly wrapped up. The team has stabilised the pavement (by mixing in powdered cement with aggregate for strengthening) and will soon install kerbs, light poles, pram crossings, asphalt and line markings. Later this month, SH22 eastbound traffic will be shifted onto the new pavement being built behind the temporary steel barriers (the area shown above) so we can begin construction in the central median of the road - followed afterwards by works on the opposite side of SH22 through the first quarter of 2026.



	South of Drury Interchange Last month, SH1 southbound lanes were shifted into the central median of the motorway, just south of Drury Interchange. This opened up a new workspace where we're now clearing vegetation - as shown in the photo above. Later this month, we will start earthworks and underground utility services works in this same area. Over the last two weeks we have also been installing temporary sheet piles (see below) hard up against the Drury southbound on-ramp near the NIMT railway bridges. These are essential to support the existing motorway lanes while we work close by to dig out and then build up the new motorway alignment and new southbound on-ramp to the east. With these piles in very close proximity to the motorway lanes, motorway closures are required so we have only been able to do this work at night. We also had to programme this work to coincide with KiwiRail's current 'Block of Line' over the school holidays. Our proximity to the nearby railway lines meant we can only install these piles when no trains are running.

During the coming months, our project works include:

Continuing to build a small noisewall, north of Slippery Creek / Otuuwairoa Stream
Continuing earthworks either side of Slippery Creek in preparation for road widening and bridge building works
Beginning to build a new southbound motorway bridge over Slippery Creek
Continuing pavement building works in the central motorway median between Slippery Creek and Drury Interchange
Continuing to install soil nails by the Drury southbound off-ramp
Continuing earthworks in the triangle gore areas between the motorway and the Drury southbound off and on-ramps
Continuing construction on the eastern side of the motorway between Drury Interchange and the Quarry Road overbridge
Continuing underground service investigations around Drury Interchange, including on the motorway, Great South Road, SH22, Bremner Road, Victoria Street and Mercer Street
Continuing to install underground services on Victoria Street, north of the Drury Sports Complex car park
Shifting Bremner Road traffic onto the new temporary bridge over Ngaakooroa Stream
Starting to dismantle the Bremner Road bridge over Ngaakooroa Stream.

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