[ChrisZwolle]

Kapiti Expressway

Fletcher Construction awarded tender to build next section of Kāpiti Expressway

The NZ Transport Agency has awarded the contract for the construction of the 13 km Peka Peka to Ōtaki section of the Kāpiti Expressway to Fletcher Construction, with work on the ground set to get under way in mid-2017.

Once these projects are complete, the Wellington CBD will be linked to the northern Kāpiti Coast by around 80km of four-lane, motorway-quality road, with a central barrier and grade separations throughout. It will improve safety, efficiency and journey reliability, while providing a more resilient route in the event of a natural disaster. Making travel for people and freight safer, more efficient and reliable will also support the region’s economic growth and productivity.
​

Full press release: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-rele...r-to-build-next-section-of-kapiti-expressway/

Highway construction is really booming in New Zealand now. Quite a number of projects were completed recently, are under construction or will start soon;

* Waterview Connection in Auckland
* Auckland Northern Motorway extension
* Tauranga Eastern Link
* Tauranga Northern Link
* Kapiti Expressway (phase 1 & 2)
* Waikato Expressway
* Transmission Gully Motorway
* Wellington smart motorway
* Christchurch Southern Motorway extension
* Christchurch Northern Motorway extension

 

[KIWIKAAS]

After a long period of near stagnation between 1975 and 2000, things have certainly gotten going in the last 15 years.
Projects like the Kapiti Expressway have been a very long time in the making having been planned and reservations aquired 50+ years ago.

 

[NZer]

Will S.H 1/S.H 29 eventually replace S.H 2 as the main route between Auckland and Tauranga?

 

[kostas97]

Is there any North-South motorway project under consideration?

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Auckland Northern Motorway

Work on $700m Puhoi road underway

Prime Minister John Key and Transport Minister Simon Bridges have turned the sod on the first section of the long awaited Pūhoi to Wellsford Road.

The Puhoi to Warkworth road will be a new 18.5km motorway between Auckland and Northland. It is the first section of the Pūhoi to Wellsford Road to get underway, one of the Government’s Roads of National Significance.

The $709.5 million project is being delivered through a Public Private Partnership, the second for a state highway in New Zealand.

Progress is also being made towards starting the second stage between Warkworth and Wellsford.

The road is planned to be open to traffic in late 2021.​

Full press release: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/work-700m-puhoi-road-underway

It was probably one of the final acts of Prime Minister John Key, who announced he will resign by December 12.

 

[NZer]

Isn't it sad that they look like a row of battered farmers with orange vests on.

 

[verreme]

^^ Politicians playing casual are always a bit creepy.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Waterview Connection

Aerial photos of the Waterview Connection in Auckland.

 

[KIWIKAAS]

Progress Waterview Connection (SH20/SH16), Auckland

I took a few picks on site at Waterview today, impressive stuff...

P1190963 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190901 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190905 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190906 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190904 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190908 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190913 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190914 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190915 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190925 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190954 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190931 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190943 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190895 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

P1190965 by Bro Joro, on Flickr

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Kapiti Expressway

24 February 2017

The 18 kilometer long Kapiti Expressway opened to traffic Friday morning at 4 a.m. It is a replacement for State Highway 1 along the Kapiti Coast, which is north of Wellington. It runs from Raumati South to Peka Peka, through an urbanized region.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/897...lion-project-as-road-quietly-opened-overnight

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Kapiti Expressway

I found some photos of the Kapiti Expressway:


2017-02-23_Coote_M2PP_317 by M2PP, on Flickr


M2PP. Nearly completed expressway a couple of days before opening. Looking south from Otaihanga Rd Crossing. Photo copyright Mark Coote. by M2PP, on Flickr


M2PP. Nearly completed expressway a couple of days before opening. Looking south at Te Moana Interchange. Photo copyright Mark Coote. by M2PP, on Flickr


M2PP. Nearly completed expressway a couple of days before opening. Looking north from Kapiti Interchange. Photo copyright Mark Coote. by M2PP, on Flickr


M2PP. Nearly completed expressway a couple of days before opening. Looking south toward Makarini footbridge and Kapiti Interchange. Photo copyright Mark Coote. by M2PP, on Flickr

 

[Slagathor]

Curious barrier... What's the speed on this road?

 

[ChrisZwolle]

I suppose it's the standard 100 km/h speed limit.

There is a push to introduce higher speed limits now that New Zealand has an increasing amount of non-urban expressways, most notably the Waikato Expressway.

 

[essendon bombers]

Curious barrier... What's the speed on this road?

They are the wire rope safety barrier. We have them quite a bit in Australia, although not all motorcyclists are keen on them.

I doubt it would get a 110km/h limit as it's too close to an urban area.

 

[essendon bombers]

NZ South Island – December 2016

Hi all,

Last December I flew across the ditch again to visit the South Island of New Zealand. Starting my road tour from Christchurch, heading into the mountains and southwest to Queenstown, down through the Southland region to Invercargill before turning north following the east coast via Dunedin back to Christchurch.


Here are some photos of central Christchurch, including a tramway running through a small plaza.

 

[essendon bombers]

Driving from Christchurch to Queenstown, via Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and the Lindis Pass (SH. 8). Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best that day. From Lake Pukaki you can look across to Mount Cook on a clear day.

 

[essendon bombers]

Queenstown & Surrounds, very popular tourist town with both summer and winter peak seasons. Plenty of beautiful scenery, adventures and things to do and places to go.

 

[essendon bombers]

From Queenstown, you can do the Milford Sound Day Tour, although I caught the bus for this day. The distance between Queenstown and Milford Sound is not as far as the crow flies. However, with some inaccessible geography it becomes four hours there and four hours’ back. For a two hour cruise, it is quite a long day.

Following roads 6, 97 then 94; we stopped in Te Anau for a break, passed the Eglington Valley and through the Homer Tunnel. The Homer Tunnel is a 1.2km one lane tunnel that opened in 1953 which allowed the Milford Sound to be connected to the rest of the country.

 

[xrtn2]

Great :cheers:

 

[essendon bombers]

Leaving Queenstown, driving south to Invercargill on State Highway 6.