Construction will kick off on a new Haywards interchange will improve safety and provide congestion relief for people using the junction of State Highways 2 and 58, which is a well-known bottleneck.
The interchange construction is expected to take two years.
Preparatory work will begin next week ahead of construction beginning in a few weeks’ time.
NZ Transport Agency Wellington highways manager Neil Walker says the contract has let and the designs finalised on a $43M grade-separated interchange at the intersection of SH2 and SH58.
NZTA has awarded the contract to Downer Engineering Limited, who will next week begin the process of preparing the site for construction.
Once complete, the intersection will serve a similar purpose to the Dowse Interchange, completed in 2010.
“People who use this intersection frequently will know that it can be a real bottleneck and that there’s also some crashes and near misses when drivers get impatient or make mistakes. This project will effectively put those problems behind us,” says Wellington highways manager Neil Walker.
“This new interchange will improve safety at the intersection for all road users, reduce travel times and frustration for motorists, and provide more reliable journey times,” he says.
“And with Transmission Gully now underway, this interchange is a major gateway to the Hutt Valley.”
Walker says the project will also create benefits for public transport users and cyclists.
“We’re also building a park and ride car park and pedestrian bridge to Manor Park railway station, which will make it easier and more appealing for commuters to use the rail network.”
In consultation with local communities, the interchange will include a unique set of cycle bypasses in both directions, which will remove the need for cyclists using SH2 to cross the traffic lanes when passing through.
