CMJ - Stage 1

After 26 months of intensive construction, Stage 1 of the Central Motorway Junction project is now complete!

Stage 1 of the Central Motorway Junction project covered the motorway upgrade on the section of the Southern Motorway between Symonds St and Gillies Ave.

The $55 million upgrade resulted in safety and efficiency improvements including the addition of a further southbound lane and improved lane configurations at critical on and off-ramps. An additional benefit of the project was the creation of extra road width to accommodate future improvement stages.

The Stage 1 works provide improved safety standards, a smoother traffic flow through the area and the new carriageway width required for connection to Stage 2 of the CMJ upgrade.

Timing

Construction on Stage 1 started in October 2002 with work initially focused on the southbound lanes in the area between Khyber Pass Rd and Gillies Ave. In September 2003 the scope of the project was extended north to include the section between Symonds St and Khyber Pass Rd.

A completion ceremony was held on December 8 when CMJ Stage 1 was officially opened in the presence of Minister of Transport the Hon. Pete Hodgson, Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard and Transit representatives. At the opening, Dick Hubbard unveiled the gecko sculpture underneath the Khyber Pass on-ramp, and said, "I hope that it (the gecko) will inspire motorists and residents to think about our natural heritage and environment while getting on with out 21st century lives."

Project Benefits:

• Improved stormwater run-off treatment through a series of sand filters and catchpit filter bags to help reduce surface flooding
• Extensive urban design features including native landscaping, Rangitoto motif barriers, mosaics, sculptures and pier design

• An extended merge area at the southbound Grafton on-ramp helps vehicles, particularly trucks, merge with motorway traffic
• A fourth southbound lane from Upper Queen Street to Gillies Ave increases capacity
• Improvements at Gillies Ave resulted in a two-lane off-ramp allowing better queing for exiting motorists and reducing the impact on motorway traffic
• A new northbound lane from Gillies Ave on-ramp to Khyber Pass off-ramp, improving traffic flow
• Improved alignment of Wellesley Street off-ramp northbound

Structural improvements

• Improved seismic performance and structural upgrade for:
  • Khyber Pass Viaduct
  • Grafton Bridge 2
  • Grafton Bridge 3A
• Sufficient southbound carriageway width for a future ramp from Khyber Pass to Gillies Ave overpass, avoiding the weave with the Gillies Ave off-ramp traffic

Driver information and safety

• New sign gantries, upgraded signage and provision for electronic signs in future
• Upgraded safety barriers with more extensive coverage
• Improved motorway lighting