Western Ring Route

Last updated

State Highway 18 NZ.svg State Highway 16 NZ.svg State Highway 20 NZ.svg
Western Ring Route
Upper Harbour Highway (SH 18)
Upper Harbour Motorway (SH 18)
Northwestern Motorway (SH 16)
Southwestern Motorway (SH 20)
Western Ring Route
Route information
Length48 km (30 mi)
HistoryFirst section completed in 1955. Route completed in 2017.
Major junctions
North end State Highway 1 NZ.svg SH 1 near Rosedale
Major intersections State Highway 16 NZ.svg SH 16 at Westgate
State Highway 16 NZ.svg SH 16 at Waterview
State Highway 20a NZ.svg SH 20A at Mangere
State Highway 20b NZ.svg SH 20B at Puhinui
South end State Highway 20 NZ.svg SH 20 at Manukau
Location
Country New Zealand
Major citiesGreenhithe, Hobsonville, Massey, Te Atatu, Waterview, Mount Roskill, Onehunga, Mangere, Auckland Airport, Wiri
Highway system

The Western Ring Route is a motorway system in Auckland, New Zealand. It runs along (from south to north) the entire Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20), most of the Northwestern Motorway (part of SH 16), the entire Upper Harbour Motorway, and the entire Upper Harbour Highway (the last two forming SH 18). [1] When the Upper Harbour Highway is upgraded to motorway status, the route will surpass the Southern Motorway to become the longest motorway in New Zealand at 48 kilometres in length. It runs through Manukau, West Auckland, and the North Shore, bypassing the Auckland city centre and thus providing a second motorway route through the Auckland isthmus. [1]

Contents

History

The ring route had been planned as early as the first half of the 20th century. Some critics have alleged that the rerouting of State Highway 1 over the Auckland Harbour Bridge (to ensure toll revenues) was a primary contributor to the decades-long delays. The rerouting is alleged to have significantly contributed to the need for a massive motorway through the centre of Auckland, severely damaging inner city suburbs such as Freemans Bay and Grafton. [2]

The section of SH 20 from Queenstown Road to Richardson Road (the Mount Roskill Extension) opened on 15 May 2009. [3] The section of SH 18 connecting the Greenhithe Bridge and SH 16 (the Upper Harbour Motorway) and the extension of SH 16 to Brigham Creek Road opened in August 2011. [4]

Construction of the Waterview Connection began in late 2011 and it was opened to traffic on 2 July 2017. This completed the route as a highway, with a remaining section of SH 18 still to be upgraded to motorway standard. The opening of the Waterview Connection allows traffic to travel along the entire length of the highway, from SH 1 near Rosedale to SH 1 at Manukau.

The Upper Harbour Highway section was upgraded to motorway status as part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Construction started in April 2018 and was completed in June 2023. [5]

Major junctions

Locationkm # DestinationsNotes
0.0 State Highway 1 NZ.svg SH 1 Northern Motorway (south) – AucklandWestern Ring Route begins
State Highway 1 NZ.svg SH 1 Northern Motorway (north) – Whangarei
Caribbean Drive
Paul Matthews Drive
Unsworth DriveSouthbound exit only
2.42 Route 26 Albany HighwayMotorway begins
Greenhithe4.34Greenhithe RoadSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
6.26Tauhinu RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
7.4 Upper Harbour Bridge over Waitematā Harbour
Hobsonville8Squadron DriveSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
9Brigham Creek Road – Whenuapai, Helensvilleto State Highway 16 NZ.svg north
10Trig RoadSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Westgate11 Route 32 Hobsonville RoadSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
State Highway 16 NZ.svg SH 16 Northwest Motorway (north) – Kumeu, Helensville
19.4 Route 32 Hobsonville RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Massey East17.818Royal RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Lincoln North15.616 Route 19 Lincoln Road – Henderson
Te Atatū South13.514 Route 13 Te Atatu Road – Henderson
Avondale North12.312Patiki Road – Avondale, New Lynn Southbound exit and northbound entrance
10.811Rosebank RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Point Chevalier8.28B State Highway 20 NZ.svg SH 20 Southwest Motorway (south)Beginning of Waterview Connection
8.18A Route 11 Great North Road – Avondale, New Lynn Southbound exit and northbound entrance
State Highway 16 NZ.svg SH 16 Northwest Motorway (east) – Auckland City Centre, Port
Waterview Tunnel
Mount Roskill
Maioro Street
18 Route 4 Dominion Road
Hillsborough16 Route 15 Hillsborough Road
15 Route 12 Queenstown Road — Auckland City CentreNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Onehunga 13Neilson Street — Onehunga Wharf, Onehunga, Penrose, Mt Wellington
Māngere Bridge over Manukau Harbour
Māngere Bridge
12Mahunga Drive — Māngere Bridge Township, Favona Southbound exit and northbound entrance
Māngere 10Walmsley RoadSouthbound
Coronation RoadNorthbound
9 BSicon FLUG.svg SH 20A — Airport No southbound entrance (use SH20B or Massey Road)
Carriageway mainline connects north to west, traffic proceeding from/to south on motorway must 'exit'.
7 Route 14 Massey Road
Puhinui3 BSicon FLUG.svg SH 20B Puhinui Road — Airport No northbound exit (use Cavendish Drive)
Southbound entrance and connection to SH 20B and BSicon FLUG.svg
3 Route 30 Cavendish DriveNo southbound exit (use Puhinui Road)
Northbound entrance and connection to SH 20B and BSicon FLUG.svg
Manukau CBD2Lambie Drive — Manukau City Centre
1 State Highway 1 NZ.svg SH 1 Southern Motorway north — Auckland Western Ring Route ends
State Highway 1 NZ.svg SH 1 Southern Motorway south — Hamilton
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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References

  1. 1 2 "Western Ring Route". NZ Transport Agency.
  2. Lee, Michael (1 June 2009). "Sins of the fathers – legacy of harbour bridge". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  3. Dearnaley, Mathew (18 May 2009). "Another piece slots into city's commuter jigsaw". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  4. "Pedestrians to hit new motorway". Auckland Now. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. "Auckland Northern Corridor". NZ Transport Agency. 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.