One of the most strategically important bridges in New Zealand, the Auckland Harbour Bridge is also one of the best maintained bridges in the world. The 50 year old bridge is no stranger to upgrades and facelifts. In the last eight years alone, NZTA has undertaken annual, six and three month inspections together with daily monitoring, painting and other maintenance.

The initial strengthening of the northbound box girder is nearing completion. Strengthening works switch primarily to the southbound clip-on from 2 August 2009 until approx April 2010.

Motorists

From 2 August 2009, SH1 Auckland Harbour Bridge southbound clip-on lanes (1 & 2) and Shelly Beach Road off-ramp will be closed Sunday - Thursday from approx. 8.30pm until 6am (and approx. 7pm to 9am some Saturday nights).

Please detour using Fanshawe Street off-ramp.

Throughout August and September the northbound clip-on lanes (1 & 2) and Curran Street on-ramp will be closed to motorists some nights approx. 9.30pm - 4.30am and approx. 7pm - 9am some Saturday nights.

Please detour using Fanshawe Street on-ramp.

Transport industry

From 2 August 2009, Auckland Harbour Bridge southbound clip-on lanes (1 & 2) and Shelly Beach Road off-ramp will be closed to trucks weighing 13 tonnes and over 24/7. Please use Fanshawe Street off-ramp as an alternative route.

If your truck weighs 13 tonnes or over, and is wider than 2.7m when travelling southbound over the Auckland Harbour Bridge Monday to Friday between 2.30pm and 8.30pm please detour using the Northwestern Motorway and Upper Harbour Bridge.

Legal weight/non permit trucks wider than 2.7m when the bridge is in a 3 lane north layout please use lane 2 on the northbound clip-on.

Lane change diagrams

Monday to Friday mornings (PDF, 279 KB)

Monday to Friday afternoons and evenings (PDF, 281 KB)

Sunday to Thursday nights (PDF, 276 KB)

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The upgrade involves gradually welding and bolting hundreds of tonnes of additional steel to the clip-ons.

Work started in April 2008 to improve access, ventilation, lighting and power supply for welders and other construction workers who carry out the upgrade. The main strengthening work started in August 2008 and will be completed in latter half of 2010.

In mid June 2009, enough strengthening had been completed to allow legal weight & non-permit load trucks back onto lane 2 of the northbound clip-on.

The truck restrictions are required for both lanes of the southbound clip-on from 2 August 2009 to avoid extra loading until sufficient numbers of new steel members are fixed in place. The same restrictions were previously in place for the northbound strengthening.

Night-time lane closures on the box girders are required to keep the box girder stable for final fit-up, bolting & welding of the new steel members.

The situation is not significantly different to normal routine closures that previously happened on the bridge most nights. NZTA will monitor traffic conditions on the bridge 24/7 with traffic cameras.