News & Media Releases

SH1 Inner City Bypass northbound route opens

22 December 2006

After two years of construction, the northbound route of the new SH1 Wellington Inner City Bypass will open at 6am on Thursday 28 December 2006. 

"The road will be opened using a 'rolling' process ' the intersections will be opened one after the other working back from Willis Street, taking approximately 5-10 minutes," said Transit NZ Project Manager Jonnette Adams.  

"At this time, the traffic signals will be phased to allow public to drive on the new route for the first time, including going through the 150 metre long trough structure," she said. 

The new road layout will be easy to follow but motorists should take care as there are new traffic signals at the Cuba, Victoria and Willis Street intersections. New signs and road markings will be in place to guide them along the new route.  

The cross streets of Buckle, Cuba, Victoria and Willis Streets are all affected by the new SH1 Inner City Bypass route.  

New road layouts will be implemented in each of these streets.  The new Bypass road name between Cuba Street and Willis Street is Karo Drive.   

Please see below for details at each intersection.

For more information contact:
Jonnette Adams
Project manager
Transit New Zealand
DDI: 04 496 6598
Email: jonnette.adams@transit.govt.nz  

New northbound route for through traffic 

The new northbound route of the SH1 Wellington Inner City Bypass will open at 6am on Thursday 28th December 2006.

 Prior to the opening, temporary signage will be used to inform road users of the changes.  The new road layout will be easy to follow but please take care as there will be new traffic signals at the Cuba, Victoria, and Willis Street intersections.  New signs and road markings will be in place to guide you along the new route. 

Buckle Street/Taranaki Street intersection 

You may already have noticed some differences on Buckle Street.  There are four lanes on Buckle Street at the Taranaki Street intersection ' one each side dedicated for left or right turns onto Taranaki Street and the two middle lanes to take traffic straight across the intersection onto the widened Arthur Street.  Arthur Street businesses will be accessed via their own service lane, adjacent to the straight through lanes. 

Arthur Street/Cuba Street intersection 

There are two lanes at the Cuba Street intersection and traffic may turn left or right onto Cuba Street at the intersection. The traffic signals here will incorporate a separate phase for cyclists to cross diagonally from the cycleway on the northern side of Arthur Street to that on the southern side of Karo Drive.   

Karo Drive/Victoria Streetintersection 

Between Cuba Street and Victoria Street, Karo Drive will increase to four lanes.  One will be a dedicated free left-turn, the two centre lanes will be for traffic moving straight ahead and the right-hand lane will also go straight across Willis Street but will be for traffic intending to turn right onto Willis Street at the next intersection.

Karo Drive/Willis Street 

There will be three lanes at the intersection with Willis Street. The right-hand lane will be for traffic turning onto Willis Street. The left-hand lane will be for traffic either turning left up Abel Smith Street or going straight onto the motorway on-ramp north. The centre lane is for straight ahead to the motorway on-ramps only.

Cross city traffic ' take care at the new intersections

Cross city traffic will encounter new intersections on Cuba, Victoria and Willis/Abel Smith Streets.  There are also changes to the existing Taranaki Street intersection.  All motorists, pedestrians and cyclists who currently use these existing roads may wish to familiarise themselves with the new road layout at each intersection and to plan their future route once the northbound lanes are open. 

Taranaki Street/Arthur Street intersection

Traffic traveling towards the city on Taranaki Street will be able to either turn left onto Arthur Street or continue straight on towards the harbour and city.  For traffic heading from the city there will be three lanes at this intersection.  The left-hand lane will be for traffic traveling straight ahead towards the southern suburbs, and the centre and right-hand lanes will be for traffic turning onto the widened Arthur Street.

Cuba Street/Karo Drive intersection

Upper Cuba Street remains a tow-way inner city street.  Traffic from the Webb Street end will be able to either continue along Cuba Street towards the city or turn left onto Karo Drive.  Traffic traveling from the city will either continue towards Webb Street or turn right onto Karo Drive.

Victoria Street/Karo Drive intersection

 Victoria Street will be widened to create an additional right-hand lane before the Abel Smith Street intersection. The right-hand lane will be for traffic turning onto Karo Drive, which will merge into either the right-hand lane for turning onto Willis Street or the centre lane for continuing onto the motorway on-ramp.  The centre lane will be for traffic either turning right onto Karo Drive or continuing on Victoria Street.  The left-hand lane will be for traffic continuing on Victoria Street.

Abel Smith Street/ Karo Drive intersection

 One of the more significant changes for the inner city streets will be the new pocket park created on the one-way section of Abel Smith Street between Willis Street and Victoria Street. 

Once Karo Drive opens this section of Abel Smith Street will become a cul-de-sac entered from Victoria Street, however, pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to walk through from Willis Street. 

This means that those who currently use this road as a thoroughfare will need to continue along Willis Street, turn right onto Ghuznee Street until Vivian Street changes are complete (at the end of January 2007), right again onto Victoria Street, along to its intersection with Abel Smith Street and continue their journey as normal. 

Once the new southbound section of the bypass is open, these motorists will be able to use Vivian Street instead of Ghuznee Street, before turning onto Victoria Street.

Willis Street/Karo Drive intersection

Willis Street will have three lanes at the new intersection.  The left-turn lane will be for traffic either turning left up Abel Smith Street (towards The Terrace) or onto the new motorway on-ramp to travel north.  The centre lane will be for turning north onto the new motorway on-ramp or continuing on Willis Street and the right-hand lane will be for continuing on Willis Street only.

 

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