Connecting the Expressway to the existing state highway
The Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) Expressway stretches for 18km between Mackays Crossing in the south, and Peka Peka in the north. In these areas, the Expressway needs to be connected, or ‘tied-in’ to the existing state highway. Which means in the months leading up to the Expressway opening, there’s a lot of action on or near State Highway 1, so this work can take place.
Poplar Avenue Interchange works
Poplar Avenue Interchange works
At the southern end, the M2PP works begin at the Mackays Crossing overbridge, on the four lane length of State Highway 1 known as the Raumati Straights. The first 2km involves rehabilitation of the existing roadway, to expressway standard and will eventually tie into Transmission Gully. The new Expressway starts just south of Poplar Avenue.
New road layouts
In the Poplar Avenue area road layout changes are being made while the project team works around live traffic to make these connections.
In September, State Highway 1 northbound traffic started using the Expressway off-ramp at the Poplar Avenue partial interchange. The Expressway isn’t open yet, but the off-ramp is being used to carry motorists safely around the works area. Southbound traffic is using the same lanes along the existing SH1 for now.
This means motorists travelling north on the Raumati Straights, heading towards Raumati South from Poplar Avenue, are using the Poplar Avenue off-ramp to exit SH1 instead of the old Poplar Avenue/SH1 t-intersection. Those wanting to continue heading north on SH1 have also been temporarily re-routed, using the other ramp that’s been built for the Poplar Avenue interchange. There’s now no left hand turn at the t-intersection into Poplar Avenue from the State Highway.
Cyclists
Cyclists travelling north past Raumati South need to head down the off-ramp and around the roundabout, before merging back onto the existing state highway north of the Poplar Avenue intersection. Southbound cyclists continue to use the shoulder as they normally would.
Speed limits
The 70km/h limit that has been in place for the last few years remains through this area and works are happening between the north and southbound lanes.
Peka Peka Interchange works
At the northern end of the new Expressway near Peka Peka, the route will transition from two lanes in each direction, to one lane in each direction as it connects to the existing state highway towards Ōtaki.
Changes are also being made in this area so the project team can work around traffic to build these connections.
New SH1 route
A temporary re-route of SH1 traffic in October is part of those changes. This will see both north and southbound SH1 traffic travelling along a newly built local link road and over the bridge above the Expressway route, until the Expressway opens, so work can continue around the existing SH1 area.
There are two stages to the change:
Stage one
Stage one sees northbound traffic using the route for a few days.
Stage two
Stage two sees both north and southbound traffic on the new road.
Download Stage One and Stage Two of the Peka Peka map to see the new route.