Transport Minister Steven Joyce has today announced that construction on the Victoria Park project on State Highway 1 in Auckland will commence almost a year earlier than previously planned, thanks to the government's billion dollar boost for state highways.

The Victoria Park bottleneck was recently identified as a Road of National Significance, meaning it was ear-marked for priority treatment.

"The NZ Transport Agency has advised that it will this weekend call for expressions of interest in the $430 million project, with construction due to start in January," says Mr Joyce.

"Construction was originally set down to start in November 2010 but we've been able to bring this forward, with a new start date of January 2010.

"I have been advised that because of the forecast reduction in state highway funding under the previous government, the entire project may not have been affordable and may not have been able to start."

Completion of this project will provide an additional three northbound lanes, allowing the existing four lanes to be dedicated to southbound traffic.

Mr Joyce says this will greatly ease congestion for the 100,000 plus vehicles that use this route each day.

"The current viaduct is a huge chokepoint for the network.  Adding a tunnel for northbound traffic will double the capacity of this section of the motorway.

"The completion of the route is essential to the continued growth and economic development in the Auckland region. It will relieve congestion and improve safety on a route that is strategically important to the region's future.

"Its construction will also bring significant benefits to the region over the next three years through increased jobs in the construction sector and subsequent economic growth."

Project description:

Capacity improvements to the Northern Motorway (State Highway 1) between the Auckland Harbour Bridge (AHB) and Wellington Street as part of the central motorway improvements.  The project comprises of:

• Increasing the capacity of St Mary's Bay from 4-lanes in each direction to 5-lanes northbound, and 5-lanes southbound with a southbound bus lane.


• Increasing the capacity across Victoria Park from 2-lanes in each direction to 3-lanes northbound (in a new tunnel) and 4-lanes southbound (on the existing Victoria Park Viaduct).