Stage one of local link to state highway complete

Auckland City Council is pleased to announce the completion of stage one of its $17 million upgrade of Tiverton Road and Wolverton Street in New Windsor.

Tiverton Road, between Blockhouse Bay Road and Whitney Street, has been widened to allow for four lanes, with a new road surface that is smoother and quieter to travel on, extensive planting, two new bus shelters and a more attractive street environment.

Councillor Glenda Fryer, Transport and Urban Linkages Committee deputy chairperson, says the completion of this first section marks an important milestone in the council's work upgrading local roads to support motorway extensions.

"Together, Tiverton Road and Wolverton Street form a key arterial route between Auckland and Waitakere cities. It's vital that this important route is completed in time to support Transit New Zealand's State Highway 20 Mt Roskill extension," says Ms Fryer.

Ms Fryer commends the project team for delivering the first stage under its $3 million budget, with the savings set to benefit work on stage two.

"The project has progressed well both in terms of the budget and timeframe as we had planned to have stage one completed around mid-2007. This bodes very well for stage two, which involves more extensive construction work.

"Plans for stage two are well underway. The project team is seeking resource consents and completing the final design for stage two, which is due to start in mid 2008.

"This second stage involves widening Wolverton Street and the rest of Tiverton Road to four lanes, putting overhead power lines underground, improving traffic safety and pedestrian connections, and providing extensive landscaping," says Ms Fryer.

Other improvements for stage two include replacing the roundabouts at the intersections of Blockhouse Bay Road and Tiverton Road, and Whitney Street and Tiverton Road. These roundabouts will be upgraded to signalised intersections, making it safer for pedestrians to cross and motorists to travel through.

The council's upgrade provides a key connection to Transit's neighbouring State Highway 20 Mt Roskill extension project, currently under construction. Major improvements to intersections and three bridge crossings will be built by Transit, which are anticipated to carry nearly 30,000 vehicles per day when the motorway extension is complete.

Transit started work to widen the Maioro Street and Richardson Road intersection earlier this month. When completed, Maioro Street will be four lanes - an extra lane in each direction.

"The additional lanes on Maioro Street will go a long way in providing increased capacity for motorists on State Highway 20, especially those gaining faster access from New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay, to the motorway at Mt Roskill," says Transit's regional manager, Peter Spies.