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Contents: History of the South Western | Why? | The Manukau Extension | Images Share this project with people you know on Facebook. The South Western Motorway & Western Ring The South Western Motorway (SH20) was constructed in stages during the late 1970's, early 1980's and late 1990's to provide more efficient connections to Auckland Airport and Manukau City and starting the long process of the still incomplete Western Ring Motorway Network. The first section of the South Western Motorway started construction in late 1977, the section was only a short approach to the old Mangere bridge bypassing the busy Onehunga area. The present Mangere Bridge after a very long and negative construction process was completed in March 1983. It connected the already used Onehunga bypass to the newly completed crossing to create a total section between Neilson Street and Coronation Road of 1.8km. In 1997 the Coronation Road to Puhinui Interchange, and link to Kirkbride Road section was completed. The Mt Roskill Extension was completed on the 15th of May 2009, extending from Hillsborough Road to Maioro Street. Other projects on the South Western Motorway include the Mangere Bridge Duplication & Surrounding Widening project and the Waterview Connection . This extension is one of the projects that is part of the Western Ring Motorway Network. The Western Ring motorway will offer a much needed alternative to the overloaded Northern and Southern Motorways. Why Does it Need to be Extended? Access: Presently the only access to the South Western Motorway is through city streets and there is no direct motorway access to the Auckland Airport. This means there will be better access to the Manukau CBD, local streets and it will open up the South Western Motorway corridor to the Western Ring network; creating an attractive alternative north or south to the Northern or Southern Motorways. Traffic: The Manukau CBD is usually overcrowded especially Wiri Station Road, the extension will address this by providing better access to the CBD. Auckland Motorway Network: This route has been saved since 1974 and will create an important motorway link. Under Construction | $260m | Full Completion: December 2010. Southbound lanes are open now and Westbound in September 2010. The new section of motorway will be 4.5km long and includes the new Puhinui Road, Roscommon Road and Lambie Drive interchanges, it will also include a large interchange with the Southern Motorway, where the southern end of the South Western Motorway will terminate. Nesdale, Liverpool and Cavendish Drives will be widened to four lanes - offering easier access to Ti Irirangi Drive from Manukau and offering an improved connection for Roscommon Road to Southern Motorway traffic heading northbound. Opening: Southbound lanes (heading toward the Southern motorway between Puhinui Road to the Southern motorway) opened on Sunday the 29th of August 2010. Westbound lanes (heading toward the airport direction between the Southern motorway and Puhinui Road) will open in September 2010. The westbound Roscommon Road to Puhinui Road connection will not open until December 2010. Click here for a map of opening procedure (NZTA PDF). To see a larger version of the map below click here.
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Share this project with people you know on Facebook. This is a Western Ring Motorway - adding to the Western Ring Motorway Network << North: Mangere Bridge and Surrounding Widening South Western Motorway Projects: Mangere Bridge & Surrounding Widening | The Waterview Connection |
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