Auckland Southern Motorway

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Southern Motorway
The Southern Motorway at the Princes Street, Otahuhu junction (Exit 441)
State Highway Number	State Highway 1
Length	51 km 32 miles
Direction	North - South
Start	Auckland City Central Motorway Junction
Primary destinations	Auckland City Port Auckland Airport Manukau Papakura Drury
End	Bombay Hills Waikato Expressway
Construction dates	1953 -
State Highways joined	Exit 426A/426B State Highway 16 (Northwest Motorway) Exit 428/429C State Highway 16 (Northwest Motorway) Exit 448/449 State Highway 20 Exit 461 State Highway 22

The Auckland Southern Motorway (also known as the Southern Motorway, and historically as the Auckland - Hamilton Motorway) is the major route south out of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is part of State Highway 1.

The motorway is 51 kilometres in length, with 28 junctions including termini. It runs from the Central Motorway Junction in central Auckland, through Manukau City, Papakura, and Drury, before terminating onto the Waikato Expressway at the top of the Bombay Hills.

[edit] History

Construction of the motorway began in 1950 with the first section opened between Ellerslie and Mount Wellington in July 1953. This was followed by an extension south to Wiri, which opened in December 1955.

The next stage of construction involved the extension of the Motorway from Wiri south to Takanini (which opened in May 1963) and north from Ellerslie to Greenlane in December 1963. In 1965 an extension southbound from Takanini to Drury was completed and with construction underway on the Newmarket viaduct, the motorway was progressively extended north to St Marks Road.

With the completion of the Newmarket Viaduct in September 1966, the motorway was extended to Khyber Pass. From Khyber Pass, a northbound carriageway was constructed to Symonds Street and opened in December 1966. The corresponding on ramp was not constructed until 1971.

In the early 1970s work commenced on extending the motorway from Drury to the Bombay Hills, while at its northern end, the motorway was connected to the Northern Motorway at the Central Motorway Junction.

In 1992, a further extension from the Bombay Hills to Mercer was completed, although only to expressway rather than motorway standards and is now considered part of the Waikato Expressway rather than the Southern Motorway. [1]

[edit] Exit list

[edit] See also

• List of motorways in New Zealand
• List of motorways, expressways, and highways in Auckland