Esmonde Rd

During the cutting of the ribbon on the new interchange accompanying the Prime Minister was Minister of Transport Hon Annette King, North Shore City Mayor George Wood, Vice Chancellor of AUT University Derek McCormack and Transit Acting Chair Bryan Jackson.

 

The $44M interchange, funded by the Government through Land Transport New Zealand, was opened to traffic during the early hours of Wednesday 16^th May creating new and increased options for travelling around the shore by car, bike and foot and joining up residential, commercial and educational communities. There will be temporary traffic management in place while motorists adjust to the new layout and work will continue until February 2008 when the Northern Busway opens.

 

New northbound on-ramps at Esmonde Road and Akoranga will provide direct SH1 motorway access from both the east and west of the motorway. The new northbound on-ramp at Esmonde Road will be particularly useful for Devonport and Takapuna residents providing a quicker and more direct route to the motorway. Similarly, a new southbound off-ramp from the motorway to Esmonde road improves access to Devonport and Takapuna.

 

SH1 has also been widened northbound between Esmonde Road and Northcote Road. Evening peak congestion on SH1 will be eased and reliance will be reduced on the Onewa Road and Northcote Road Interchanges; particularly important as the Onewa Road southbound off-ramp will be closed on the 28^th May for 18 months as part of the upgrade of Onewa Interchange and the construction of the Northern Busway.

 

The addition of an east-west route across the motorway creates new travel choices for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians enabling them to move freely across the motorway between Takapuna and Northcote.

 

The project was undertaken on behalf of the Government by Transit New Zealand in collaboration with North Shore City Council and key stakeholders from the local community including AUT’s Akoranga Campus and local businesses.

 

The project is a vital part of the Northern Busway, another example of partnership providing major transport improvements in Auckland. Transit and North Shore City Council are working alongside Auckland Regional Transport Authority and Auckland City Council to deliver New Zealand’s first busway, due to open to the public in early 2008.

 

Esmonde Interchange provides dedicated routes for buses and the many passengers that will travel to and from the busway’s Akoranga bus station. North Shore City wil complete Akoranga station in 2008 to coincide with the busway completion. The design includes an underpass for the two-way busway and a new overbridge built over live motorway traffic.

Click here for a plan of the new Esmonde Road Interchange