News & Media Releases
Transit New Zealand opens State Highway 1 Mercer Expressway
28 July 2006
The completion of the $83M Mercer to Longswamp expressway project on State Highway 1 will be celebrated today with an official opening ceremony.
Minister of Transport Hon. Annette King will officially open the expressway. The ceremony will include an iwi blessing, tree planting ceremony with children from local schools, speeches, and a bus tour of the project. Transit Chairman David Stubbs, Waikato District Mayor Peter Harris and Franklin District Mayor Mark Ball, among other local identities will also take part in the ceremony.
Transit Regional Manager Chris Allen said the wider safety impacts of the project are especially significant. The expressway completes a major road safety upgrade that stretches from Mercer to just north of Huntly.
“This 12km section of SH1 was once notorious for serious head-on crashes, often involving multiple fatalities. Now, barriers or wide grass medians separate traffic flows and the chances of head-on crashes are reduced significantly,” he said.
Mr Allen said road users and especially the local community deserved a special word of thanks for enduring considerable inconvenience during the six-year construction period.
“The cooperation and support of key landowners and community leaders in Mercer, Meremere and the farming community has been critical in completing this project,” he said.
The project is the second section of four-lane expressway completed as part of the SH1 Waikato Expressway planned between Mercer and Cambridge.
A photographer will be attending and photos will be available following the opening.
For further information, contact:
Chris Allen
Regional Manager
Transit New Zealand
027 292 8072
Or
Janette Wise
Communications Advisor
Transit New Zealand
DDI: 07 903 5146 / 027 294 2649
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