About the Manukau Harbour Crossing Project

Project Overview

The $230M Manukau Harbour Crossing is a New Zealand Government initiative being delivered by the Manukau Harbour Crossing Alliance comprising the NZ Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, Beca Infrastructure and Higgins Contractors.

The project will deliver safer, quicker and easier travel on SH20 across the Manukau Harbour between Mangere and Onehunga. It will have local, regional and national benefits for business, industry and tourism.

The project area is from Queenstown Road in the north to Walmsley Road in the south. At Queenstown Road, it connects to the SH20 Mt Roskill Extension project.

The project now has an early completion date of 31 August 2010.

Other projects forming part of the Western Ring Route are:

SH20 to SH1 Manukau Extension
SH20 to Mt Roskill Extension
SH20 Waterview Connection
SH16/18 Upper Harbour Corridor

The $230M Manukau Harbour Crossing Project will increase traffic capacity and provide priority for buses across the Manukau Harbour between Mangere and Onehunga. It forms a key part of a Western Ring Route which, when completed, will provide a continuous motorway link around Auckland from Manukau to Greenhithe.

The project is the culmination of approximately a decade of investigations, including community consultation on different options. The studies concluded that building an additional motorway bridge next to the existing bridge, providing eight lanes across the harbour, is the best option.

The Manukau Harbour Crosssing involves:

How the expanded crossing will look

Duplicate Mangere Bridge

A second harbour bridge is being built to the east and at the same level as the existing Mangere Bridge. Once completed, the bridge will carry four southbound lanes of traffic plus a bus shoulder lane. The existing bridge will carry four northbound lanes of traffic plus a northbound bus shoulder lane.

The foundations of the bridge are being built strongly enough to carry a low-level rail link in the future.

Queenstown Road Bridge and beyond

North of the bridge

The motorway is being widened to three traffic lanes and a bus shoulder lane in each direction. At Queenstown Road it will tie into the SH20 Mt Roskill Extension, which is due to open in mid-2009. As part of the Manukau Harbour Crossing Project, there will be extensive planting and landscaping. Also, it’s proposed to extend the footbridge between Beachcroft Avenue and Orpheus Drive on the Onehunga waterfront.

South of the bridge

The motorway is being widened to three traffic lanes and a bus shoulder lane in each direction. To enable this to happen, the Rimu Road motorway overbridge and the Hastie Avenue footbridge will be replaced. The Tamarata Creek bridge will also be widened.

Extensive planting and landscaping south of the bridge will include the creation of a new Waterfront Park on the site of the project office in Mangere Bridge. Also, a pedestrian and cycle path will be created under the southern end of the bridge, to link Waterfront Park to Mahunga Drive.

Rimu Road bridge

Rimu Road bridge provides a critical east-west link over the motorway between Mahunga Avenue and the Mangere Bridge village. However, it is too narrow to allow for eight lanes of traffic to pass under it. It is therefore being replaced.

The new bridge is due for completion in mid-2009. It will carry one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes – one for traffic turning onto the motorway and the other for traffic going on to Mangere Bridge village. It will also have a cycle lane and a footpath for pedestrians.

Walking and Cycling Improvements

The Manukau Harbour Crossing project includes local cycling and walking improvements, to make it easier to get around on foot or by bicycle.

Shared footpath/cycleway across the Waterfront Road Reserve from Coronation Road to Mahunga Drive
An upgraded footpath/cycleway on southern approach to Old Mangere Bridge
New Hastie Avenue foot bridge with ramps for easier access for cyclists and wheelchairs
New Beachcroft Avenue foot bridge with ramps, improving the link from Orpheus Drive to Onehunga
New Onehunga Harbour Road foot bridge, to provide a traffic-free link from Onehunga Mall to the Old Mangere Bridge and Waikaraka cycleway
Upgraded footpath/cycleway alongside the Queenstown Road off-ramp, connecting Queenstown Road and Orpheus Drive
Replacement circuit path around the outside of Onehunga Lagoon
New footpaths both sides of the Rimu Road overbridge, as well as a wider footpath and a new cycle lane on the replacement bridge
Upgraded underpass, with better lighting and graffiti art to deter tagging, at the northern end of the motorway bridge
New footpath on the northern side of Onehunga Harbour Road

Walking and Cycling Improvements

Who's involved

The Manukau Harbour Crossing Project is being delivered by the MHX Alliance comprising the NZ Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, Beca Infrastructure and Higgins Contractors.

Timeline

In February 2008, work started south of the Mangere Bridge

Key dates to completion are:

July 2010: Public open day
July 2010: Traffic on new bridge
31 August 2010: Project completion

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