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The State Highway 1 interchange, between the Silverdale and Orewa exits, provides direct access to Millwater, Wainui Road and the future commercial area at Highgate.
About 16,000 vehicles are predicted to use the interchange every day by 2021, and more than 4500 people are expected to be employed in the Highgate Business Park by 2025.
The interchange includes a northbound off ramp on SH1, which links to Wainui Road and circles across the overbridge to Millwater and Highgate, an upgrade of Wainui Road including two new roundabouts, widening of the Millwater Parkway from Bankside Road to the overbridge, and a southbound on ramp to SH1 from Millwater Parkway.
Millwater Parkway residents who attended the opening said they were looking forward to a reduction in traffic and construction.
Les and Coral Nordstrand were one of the first residents in the development three years ago and say the growth and construction in the area has been rapid. It would only take a minute to get on to the motorway now, instead of having to drive to Orewa or Silverdale.
Hibiscus & Bays Local Board member Janet Fitzgerald said the new interchange would hopefully help reduce congestion in Silverdale.
“Silverdale is having major problems, Penlink is the ultimate for Whangaparaoa but this is at least a start to the make the traffic spread out.”
The interchange was a requirement of the original consents issued to the developers by the former Rodney District Council when the new subdivision and business park were proposed. Millwater residential subdivision developer WFH Properties Ltd and Highgate collaborated on the project. Construction was undertaken by Ross Reid Contractors, Woods and Fulton Hogan. Work began 15 months ago.
The ramps were seen as crucial in obtaining consent for the development of the Peninsula Golf Club land in Whangaparaoa by PLDL and restrictions were placed upon how many properties could be constructed there prior to the building of the ramps in order to mitigate traffic congestion.
The project was budgeted to cost $16.9 million, but geotechnical conditions, weather and traffic controls pushed this out to $17.2 million.
The NZ Transport Agency worked with the developers and Auckland Transport in the planning and design of the ramps and road connections as well as ensuring they complied with standards. The Transport Agency is responsible for operation and maintenance. Full ownership of the interchange will be handed over to the NZ Transport Agency in 12 months.
In a statement WFH Properties and Highgate Development said the interchange required challenging design and construction techniques. This included constrained construction deadlines due to the link between the completion of the Millwater interchange and the release of residential lots within Millwater Subdivision, and tough winter conditions in 2014.
They also needed to consider existing infrastructure with limited disruption, treatment of stormwater, undercutting retaining and strengthening of the existing Wainui Road Bridge West Abutment, while enabling cars to continue to use the bridge, geotechnical remediation of the existing motorway slip.
