Waikato Expressway
| |
|---|---|
| State Highway 1 | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency | |
| Length: | 46.3 km (28.8 mi) |
| Existed: | 8 May 1993 – present |
| History: | Under construction |
| Major junctions | |
| North end: |
Bombay Hills Auckland Southern Motorway |
|
Exit 477 State Highway 2 | |
| South end: | Ohinewai (at present) |
| Location | |
| Primary destinations: | Pokeno, Mercer, Meremere, Te Kauwhata, Rangiriri |
| Highway system | |
The Waikato Expressway is a dual carriageway section of State Highway 1 in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and forms part of the link between Auckland and Hamilton. Currently, the expressway is made up of three sections: the first beginning at the end of the Auckland Southern Motorway at the Bombay Hills and ending at Longswamp, the second beginning at Rangiriri and ending at Ohinewai and the third beginning at Taupiri and ending at Te Rapa. The first two sections are linked by a three lane section of State Highway 1 that will eventually be upgraded to four lanes and thus become a part of the expressway. Further extensions to the expressway are planned, and when completed, the expressway will form a 101.4 km long continuous four lane dual carriageway from the Bombay Hills to beyond the town of Cambridge, 24 kilometres south-east of Hamilton. When completed, Hamilton, as well as several other towns along the current route of State Highway 1 (such as Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Cambridge), will be completely bypassed by the expressway, allowing through traffic to move much more efficiently.[1]
History
While not officially designated as the Waikato Expressway until the early 2000s, the upgrading of State Highway 1 from the Bombay Hills to Mercer from 1992 to 1993 can be considered to be the first step in the construction of the expressway. During this upgrade, State Highway 1 from the end of the Southern Motorway to just north of Mercer was upgraded from two lanes to four, with fully grade separated interchanges constructed at Bombay and the junction with State Highway 2 just north of the township of Pokeno. A bypass of Pokeno was also constructed at this time, as well as several partially separated interchanges to allow access for local property owners along the route.[2]
The next stage of the Waikato Expressway to be completed was the Rangiriri to Ohinewai section in 2003. The northern half of this section follows the pre-existing highway while the southern half of this section deviates from the original highway in order to bypass Ohinewai and features a diamond interchange on Tahuna Rd.[3]
The Mercer to Longswamp section continues on from the existing expressway between the Bombay Hills and Mercer and was opened in July 2006. This section uses the existing two lane section of State Highway one as a carriageway for northbound traffic, while a separate carriageway for southbound traffic was constructed in parallel.[4] A grade separated interchange at Mercer was also constructed, incorporating an overpass for the southbound lanes to cross over the North Island Main Trunk railway at this point.
As the two dual carriageway sections of the expressway (Bombay Hills to Longswamp and Rangiriri to Ohinewai) are not continuous, the section of highway between Longswamp and Rangiriri was upgraded to a 2+1 road in 2005 with the intention of upgrading this section to four lanes in the future.[5]
In 2009 the Waikato Expressway was announced by New Zealand's minister of Transport, Steven Joyce, as being one of seven "Roads of national significance".[6]
The Mangaharakeke Drive bypass, originally known as the Te Rapa Bypass, was opened on 3 December 2012 (ahead of its 2013 schedule).[7] Currently running from the existing State Highway 1 south to Te Rapa the bypass will eventually be extended northbound to connect with the Ngauruawahia bypass.[8]
Construction of the section of the expressway between Taupiri and Te Rapa (the Ngaruawahia bypass) began in late 2011 and the Ngaruawahia Bypass was officially opened on 14 December 2013 resulting in a complete section of expressway from Taupiri to Te Rapa.[9]
Progress on the other sections of the expressway has also continued, with funding approved for the Rangiriri and Tamahere - Cambridge sections in December 2012.[10] Following the approval of funds, construction of the Rangiriri section commenced in March 2013 while construction of the Cambridge section commenced in August 2013.[11] [12]
Exit list
| Territorial authority | Location | Exit | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland Council (Franklin Local Board) | Bombay |  SH 1/ Thermal Explorer Highway North Southern Motorway Manukau, Auckland |
Waikato Expressway begins | |
| 471 | Great South Road Bombay, Pukekohe Bombay Service Centre |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 473 | Beaver Road | No east/west connection | ||
| Waikato District | 474 | Ridge Road | ||
| Pokeno | 476 | Razorback Road | Northbound entrance and southbound exit | |
| 477 |  SH 2 Coromandel Peninsula, Tauranga |
|||
| Great South Road Pokeno |
Northbound entrance and southbound exit | |||
| Great South Road Pokeno |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Pioneer Road | Northbound exit is right hand turn | |||
| Mercer | Mercer | |||
| Oram Road | ||||
| Island Block Road Meremere |
To close when full interchange is built at Spring Hill Road | |||
| Spring Hill Road Meremere |
Full interchange to be built as part of stage 2 | |||
| Dragway Road Fram Autolite Dragway |
To close when full interchange is built at Spring Hill Road | |||
| Hampton Downs Road Hampton Downs, Spring Hill Corrections Facility |
||||
| Currently terminates south of the Hampton Downs Road interchange | ||||
| Waikato District | Whangamarino Road South | Southbound entrance and exit only | ||
| Paddy Road | Full interchange to be built as stage 2 | |||
| Hall Road | To close when Paddy Road interchange completed | |||
| From 2016, terminates north of Wayside Road | ||||
| Waikato District | Te Kauwhata Road/Plantation Road Te Kauwhata |
Under construction, opens 2016 | ||
| Rangiriri | Glen Murray Road Rangiriri |
Under construction, opens 2016 | ||
| Currently terminates south of Rangiriri | ||||
| Waikato District | Armatage Road | Northbound entrance and exit only | ||
| Tahuna Road Tahuna, Ohinewai |
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| Currently terminates at Frost Road | ||||
| Waikato District | Frost Road Huntly |
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| Orini Road | ||||
| Currently terminates at Gordonton Road | ||||
| Waikato District |  SH 1B Gordonton Road Taupiri, Gordonton |
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| Currently terminates onto Mangaharakeke Drive at Lake Road | ||||
| Waikato District | Mangaharakeke Drive Hamilton, Ngaruawahia |
No southbound entrance | ||
| Lake Road | Southbound entrance only | |||
| Resolution Drive | Link to be built to Resolution Drive/Borman Road roundabout | |||
| Greenhill Link Hamilton |
Link to be built to Wairere Drive/Gordonton Road/Crosby Road roundabout | |||
 SH 26 Ruakura Link Hamilton, Morrinsville |
Link to be built east to Ruakura Road and west to Ruakura Road/Silverdale Road roundabout SH 26 to be diverted via Ruakura Road to meet interchange. | |||
| Cambridge Road Hamilton |
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| Currently terminates at Bollard Road | ||||
| Waikato District | Tamahere |  SH 21 Tamahere, Hamilton International Airport |
||
| Currently terminates at Tamahere Road | ||||
| Waipa District | Cambridge Road Cambridge |
Northbound entrance and southbound exit Under construction. | ||
| Victoria Road Cambridge |
Under construction. | |||
| Tirau Road Cambridge |
Northbound exit and southbound entrance Under construction. | |||
| SH 1/Thermal Explorer Highway South Rotorua, Taupo |
Waikato Expressway ends | |||
Mangaharakeke Drive (Te Rapa spur)
| Territorial authority | Location | Exit | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waikato District | SH 1/ Thermal Explorer Highway Waikato Expressway north Huntly, Auckland |
Mangaharakeke Drive begins No east to south connection | ||
| Lake Road | Northbound exit only to Waikato Expressway southbound (future) | |||
| Waikato District | Te Rapa Road Te Rapa, Ngaruawahia |
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| Korua Drive | ||||
| Hamilton City | Avalon Drive (north)/Gilchrist Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| Avalon Drive (south) | Mangaharakeke Drive ends |
See also
References
- ↑ "Waikato Expressway". New Zealand Transport Agency. 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ↑ "Auckland Motorways 2008". New Zealand Transport Agency. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- ↑ "Rangiriri to South of Ohinewai". Waikato Expressway. Transit New Zealand. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ↑ "Traffic switches to new lanes at Mercer". Transit New Zealand Press release. 22 April 2004. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ↑ "Longswamp to Te Kauwhata Four-Laning". Waikato Expressway. Transit New Zealand. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ↑ "Roads of national significance". NZ Transport Agency. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ↑ "New length of Waikato Expressway now open to traffic". www.nzta.govt.nz. New Zealand Transport Agency. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ↑ "Waikato Expressway - Ngauruawahia section". NZ Transport Agency. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ↑ "Waikato Expressway contract awarded". NZ Transport Agency. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
- ↑ "Construction funding approved for two sections of the Waikato Expressway". NZTA. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ↑ "Associate Minister marks start of Waikato Expressway - Rangiriri". Waikato Expressway. New Zealand Transport Agency: Waikato Regional Office. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ↑ Henson, Narelle (31 August 2013). "$250m project brings bypass, bridges and 300 jobs". Waikato Times. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
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