SH1 Papakura to Drury upgrade hits new milestone
The SH1 Papakura to Drury upgrade reached a milestone as southbound traffic shifted to a new motorway alignment and bridge, improving safety and capacity ahead of further construction phases.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced that southbound traffic on State Highway 1 (SH1) between Papakura and Drury now uses a new motorway alignment and bridge, marking a key milestone in the project. The Southern Motorway carries approximately 80,000 vehicles daily and is vital for Auckland and the upper North Island’s economy. The upgrade aims to enhance safety, resilience, and journey reliability while supporting South Auckland’s growth and freight movement.
The new southbound alignment includes the first of five planned bridges, part of the project’s second stage. Starting in October, the old bridge will be dismantled in sections using cranes operating from the widened motorway median. This will allow construction to begin on a second southbound bridge, which will temporarily carry two lanes of traffic in each direction while the northbound bridge is replaced with a wider structure.
The new bridges will be up to 2.5 metres higher than the existing ones, improving flood resilience and climate change adaptation. Recent progress includes completed piling for a new motorway bridge over Great South Road at Drury Interchange, with beam lifting for a Bremner Road bridge over Ngaakooroa Stream scheduled for next month.
Construction of a new Bremner Road bridge over the motorway, replacing a demolished structure, is underway with western side abutment piling set to begin in October. The Minister thanked road users and freight operators for their patience and acknowledged the construction teams’ efforts as work continues toward the 2030 completion target.