SH1 Papakura to Drury

Construction update

6 September 2024

Construction update | He pānui

Kia ora

The arrival of spring has been welcomed by our construction crews following a wet August. Despite the wet weather, the works have continued at pace, with a significant milestone achieved last month with the opening of three lanes in both directions. Further details are provided below.

Over the last month most of our construction efforts have been carried out at night, as the works undertaken have needed motorway closures to ensure the safety of both the crew involved and to minimise disruption for motorists. These works included completing the box culverts running under the motorway and installing the project’s largest gantry, measuring 50.6 metres in length. Further information is included below, and you can watch a video of the impressive installation.

Other progress includes the completion of construction activities on Beach Road, with only very minor works left. Beach Road’s new shared pedestrian and cycling path is also fully open – read on for more details.

Looking south from Beach Road motorway overbridge.

Three lanes open! | E tūwhera ana ngā ara e toru!

Last month, the primary target of this first stage of the project was achieved, with three lanes in both directions on the Southern Motorway now extending between Papakura Interchange and the BP Connect motorway service centre.

The northbound third lane was opened to motorists on Monday 12 August, a month ahead of the programmed 'practical completion' date, while the third southbound lane was opened on Friday 23 August, two weeks prior to practical completion.

The new southbound on-ramp on Beach Road (Papakura) was opened to traffic in May this year. Opening the third southbound lane has now allowed this on-ramp to operate in its permanent alignment, providing motorists with a significantly longer and safer merge lane along the motorway shoulder than what was in place during construction earlier this year.

While all lanes are now open to traffic, a final layer of open grade porous asphalt (OGPA) will be applied in October/November when weather conditions are more favourable and warmer. This asphalt will provide a smoother, quieter ride and it also sheds rainwater more efficiently to reduce spray.

The project's largest gantry being installed.

Last gantry installed | Kua tāuta te gantry whakamutunga

August has been a month of significant milestones. The largest gantry for the project was installed overnight on 7th/8th August, just south of Papakura Interchange. This massive structure, measuring 50.6 metres in length, spans across all southbound and northbound lanes, including the off and on-ramps, so encompassing a total of eight lanes!

A 160-tonne crane was used to lift in this gantry during a full night-time motorway closure. The gantry now displays essential route and destination information for motorists and is also designed to accommodate future electronic signage. Watch this video to see the action that night.

In addition to the largest gantry, our second largest gantry near the BP motorway service centre (installed in June) has now been equipped with electronic variable messaging signs (VMS) facing traffic in both directions. A photo of this gantry is included in the montage below. For further details regarding other gantries on the project, you can refer back to our July Construction update.

Rosehill College students give the new shared use path on Beach Road a big 'thumbs up'.

Beach Road update | Pānui ki Beach Road

By August, the majority of construction works on Beach Road had been completed. So last month, our efforts were concentrated on addressing finishing touches and ‘snags’, and conducting quality assurance inspections.

Those works included the final planting of vegetation, site cleanup, pouring final concrete edging along the shared use path and removing all temporary traffic management.

To complete our works on Beach Road, a final layer of asphalt will be laid in the warmer months of October / November between the motorway overbridge and the Chichester Drive / Elliot Street intersection. This final layer of asphalt is designed to withstand the high braking, accelerating and turning forces generated by the high number of vehicles that use Beach Road and the motorway ramps daily and will make motorists' journeys smooth ones.

Latest photos from site | Ngā pikitia

Working across the site on pavement and asphalt works, and final line marking.

Contact us | Whakapā mai

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

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