SH1 Papakura to Drury

Construction update

2 August 2024

Construction update | He paanui

Kia ora

It's winter and it's wet but our mahi has continued unabated!  For the past two months, the majority of our construction works have been undertaken at night, a pattern that will continue throughout this month too.  Significant progress has been made with installing streetlights in the central concrete median north of Papakura Interchange, and the subsequent removal of temporary steel barriers will allow us to 'pave the way' for opening the third northbound lane, north of Papakura Interchange.

The middle sections of the stormwater culverts within the motorway central median were completed last month.  Our focus this month shifts to the final phase of the stormwater box culvert installation – read on for more details.

A project highlight for this month will be the installation of the largest and final overhead gantry for this stage of the project, located just south of the Papakura Interchange and measuring an impressive 50.6m in length.  That's almost 10m longer than the 40.8m gantry shown above, which was installed near the BP service centre last month.  For the gantries already erected, we have been able to truck them straight to site or assemble them locally off site before trucking them in and erecting them in one night.  However, as this last one is so long, we will need more time to assemble it on the motorway before we can lift it up in one piece, which is why we still have some temporary barriers in place blocking off northbound traffic lanes.

On Beach Road, our team is nearing completion of all works as the final concrete islands were poured earlier this week.  August will be dedicated to resolving any outstanding issues and completing quality assurance checks.

Aerial view of the final stormwater box culvert stage.

Stormwater box culverts | Ngaa karawata waiaawhaa

One of the key outcomes for this stage of the project is ensuring that all stormwater is treated and effectively managed through the upgrade of existing stormwater box culverts.  These culverts will transport stormwater beneath the motorway, ultimately discharging into Manukau Harbour.

Our current focus is on the final stage of box culvert installation, on the southbound side of the motorway – due to the sequencing of traffic shifts above to maintain traffic flows during the project, only now is space available to make the final connection.

Between the Papakura Interchange and the BP motorway service centre, the two southbound lanes divide to accommodate a new construction area between them, as seen in the aerial photo above.  This is where the final box culvert sections will be installed. This stage of construction is being carried out at night using full or partial motorway closures, to ensure the safety of both our crew and motorists.

The southbound lane divide means that southbound drivers cannot change lanes after the Papakura Interchange until they are past the off-ramp into the BP motorway service centre.  Motorists wishing to visit the shops there should ensure they are travelling in the left-hand (slow) lane when passing under Beach Road / Papakura Interchange.

When the box culvert installation is complete, we will get onto asphalt laying and line marking.  This work is scheduled to be finished by late August/early September and will allow for the opening of three southbound lanes.  The final layer of asphalt surfacing will be applied in the warmer months of October and November.

New guardrails installed on Beach Road.

Guardrails | Ngaa aarai haumaru

The safety of motorists is of paramount concern for our project, particularly as we approach the completion of Stage 1A of the project.  To enhance the safety of motorists when traveling at 100 km/h, we have installed guardrails at various project locations on the motorway.

Last month, our team also installed the last guardrail section on Beach Road.  You may wonder how these guardrails contribute to safety.  Beyond their visual role in delineating the road's outer edge, guardrails play a crucial role in preventing vehicles from leaving the road in the event of an incident – which in turn could potentially injure pedestrians and residents and damage private property.

We have used two primary types of metal guardrails for this project: Test Level 3 'TL3' and Test Level 4 'TL4'.  The TL3 variant is designed for low-impact collisions and is used on motorway off-ramps and on-ramps.  The TL4 type is engineered to withstand higher impacts and is installed along the main motorway.  In total, we have installed 4,105m of guardrails on the motorway and on/off ramps, as well as 100m on Beach Road (see above).

In conjunction with guardrails, we have also slip-formed concrete 'TL4' and 'TL5' barriers as an improved safety feature.  These barriers either separate opposing traffic lanes on the motorway's central median or run along the shoulder to protect bridge piers and other structures.  For more information about our slip-form barriers, you can refer to our June Construction update.

Latest photos from site | Ngaa pikitia

We are working across the site, with 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
• Final surfacing work (asphalting) on both northbound and southbound sides of the motorway, starting in October/November. 

Contact us | Whakapaa 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.