Massey North / Westgate

The Massey North/Westgate area is poised to become one of Waitakere City's key new town centres. Westgate has so far been one of the most commercially successful developments in Waitakere City.

The centre is located on the edge of the North Western Motorway (State Highway 16) and Hobsonville Road (State Highway 18), which has made it very accessible. It has many useful services and community facilities including the Massey library, community centre, retail services, medical services, cinemas and entertainment.

History

Up until the 1960s, Massey was a rural area with very few houses. The development of the North Western Motorway and improved local roads led to a significant growth in Massey's population from 1966 to 1981. There was a lot of residential subdivision, especially in Massey and Royal Heights. West Harbour to the north of Royal Road was also developed as the city sprawled towards the city limits.
The Westgate shopping centre was opened in 1998, and in undeveloped areas residential development continued to appear. Some of this new housing is 'medium density', a different style to that of the older traditional housing subdivisions nearby.

What's Happening Now?

The Westgate centre and Massey North is set to become a major bustling centre for people living in Massey, West Harbour and other areas nearby. There will be regular public transport, with express buses to Auckland City. It's expected the population of the Massey North and existing Westgate area will rise to 8000 by 2021. Employment opportunities in the existing and future city centre area and industrial developments expected to the north will provide for 7200 new jobs or more. These changes will see the area become a comprehensively planned town centre that will provide a full range of opportunities for work, living and recreation.

The expansion of Massey and Westgate (Plan Change 15)

The area is close to the edge of the Metropolitan Urban Limit (MUL) that defines the edge of the city. Waitakere City has applied for the limit of the urban area here to be extended in order for existing shopping centre to redevelop into a major regional centre with a full range of services that will benefit an area the size of Massey. It is important for this to happen to create more opportunity for people to work locally. It will provide more local services for the fast-growing north of the City, as well as more places to live.

This extension of the city to the North of the existing shopping centre has been proposed through the District Plan Change 15.

Massey Matters

The existing Massey is also part of an innovative plan to revitalise the city's older areas. In the "old Massey", the council is working alongside the local community and other partners to develop a programme for long term, community driven, sustainable neighbourhood renewal and development in the Massey area.

The suburb has been selected for attention following a survey that identified the need to bolster services for the 21,000 residents in the area. Almost ninety percent of the residents surveyed 'agreed or strongly agreed' that Massey was a good place to live. However, the vast majority felt that 'outsiders' would not share that view. Residents, community groups, businesses, schools and other organisations are working with the council to develop a long-term plan for Massey.

The survey findings of more than 400 people are now being implemented " Building Community in Massey " Our Place, Our People.

Massey Link: Connecting The Community

There is a concern that pedestrians are crossing the motorway illegally and this resulted in a death in 2005. That has prompted a comprehensive look at the best and safest ways to get local people around their neighbourhood.

Various options are outlined here and we now want your feedback.

The future Westgate Town Centre, employment and residential areas

The outlined growth area (Plan Change 15) covers around 160 hectares of land to the north of Hobsonville Road. It is opposite the existing Westgate shopping centre and is located between the existing State Highway 16 and where a new route has been designated for the motorway to run north towards Kumeu.

The current plans will provide opportunities for businesses capable of providing around 4,500 jobs and residential areas catering for over 4,000 people.

Massey North and Westgate fall into the Northern Strategic Growth Area (NORSGA). District Plan changes were drafted in 2005. Submissions and further submissions on the proposed changes closed in December 2005. A hearing process is in the hands of the Auckland Regional Council. It is expected that final decisions from this process will be made in 2007, after which the plan change can become operative if there is no appeal.

An artist impression of the future town centre

Improved Transport Infrastructure

Hobsonville Deviation
Updates
NZTA Newsletters

SH18 Hobsonville Deviation & SH16 Brigham Creek Extension Updates

Artist impression of the new Hobsonville Road Bridge.

The SH18 Hobsonville Deviation Motorway will replace the current State Highway 18 along Hobsonville Road.

At the same time, the SH16 Brigham Creek Extension will be built to extend the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) three kilometres through Massey North to end at a new roundabout at Brigham Creek Road.

The six-kilometre, four-lane SH18 motorway will connect the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) at Hobsonville Road, with the Upper Harbour Bridge and Greenhithe Deviation Motorway.

The Hobsonville Deviation features four interchanges at Hobsonville Road, Brigham Creek Road, Trig Road and Buckley Avenue. A cable-stay bridge at Clarks Lane will give pedestrians and cyclists direct access across the motorway.

The existing cyclist and pedestrian path on the Upper Harbour Bridge will connect to Hobsonville Road via the new Buckley Avenue Bridge. There will also be provision along the motorway route for bus shoulder lanes to be installed in the future.

The motorway will provide the transport infrastructure to support planned urban growth in Waitakere City. It will also give extra capacity to cope with a new housing development planned for the site of the old Hobsonville airbase.

The new motorways are expected to better connect Waitakere and North Shore cities as well as increasing motorway capacity to reduce travel times and congestion on Hobsonville Road and SH16 north of Don Buck Road.

The $220m project by the NZ Transport Agency began in October 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

For more information go to: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/upperharbourmotorway/
Or phone 0800 520 502.

View progress photographs of the project.

Updates

29 January 2010

Changes on Brigham Creek Road

Motorists will notice changes at Brigham Creek Road in Hobsonville in February and March when a brand new road and three new roundabouts are opened to traffic. This is the next step in the NZ Transport Agency's SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension project as part of the Western Ring Route.

From Wednesday 3 February until Friday 19 March, the section of Brigham Creek Road between Kauri Road and Hobsonville Road will operate as a one-way road for motorists heading from Hobsonville Road to Kumeu. This will enable the team to construct a new roundabout system and shift traffic onto a new road layout. The temporary detour for motorists travelling from Kumeu to Hobsonville Road is via Trig Road.

NZTA's State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland Tommy Parker says motorists need to be aware that the area is still a live construction zone, "We're encouraging motorists to drive slowly as they navigate the new layout for the first time. By 2012 they'll be able to travel on and off the new SH18 motorway which is being constructed directly above Brigham Creek Road," he says.

The work is part of the Brigham Creek Interchange with SH18 which when completed will form the connection between Kumeu and the North Shore via Brigham Creek Road.

The six kilometre, four-lane Hobsonville motorway is the last section of the new SH18 to be completed and will connect to the Upper Harbour Bridges and Greenhithe motorway at the eastern end and the Northwestern Motorway at the western end.

The $220M project also includes a three kilometre extension of SH16 to a new roundabout at Brigham Creek Road. The project will provide a better connection between Waitakere and North Shore cities and Rodney District and complete the key northern link of the Western Ring Route. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

The NZTA thanks motorists for their patience and ongoing cooperation while construction of the new motorway continues.

For more information on the SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension project visit www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/upperharbourmotorway or call 0800 520 202.

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Brigham Creek Road flyer (Size 849K)

14 December 2009

Bridge openings signal further progress on Hobsonville motorway

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, Associate Transport Minister Nathan Guy and Wayne McDonald of NZTA, at the new Trig Rd bridge which opened this week.

October 2009

Trig Road bridge nears completion

The existing roundabout at the end of the North-Western Motorway and Hobsonville Road intersection will be removed at the end of November.

The SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension projects are moving ahead with the first of the new bridges due to open at the beginning of November.

The Trig Road Bridge is 65 metres long and 18 metres wide and will carry local traffic over the motorway. The realigned Trig Road will carry traffic onto the new bridge.

At the end of November the Hobsonville roundabout, located at the end of the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) and Hobsonville Road intersection, will be removed. This will allow traffic to travel over the newly constructed Hobsonville Bridge.

On and off-ramps to Westgate shopping centre and from Hobsonville Road onto the Northwestern Motorway will also open to traffic.

From early December there will also be a temporary diversion in place on SH18 at Monterey Park to facilitate the construction of the new Squadron Drive interchange.

Beams lifted into place at Hobsonville Road

24 beams were successfully lifted into place across the span of the Hobsonville Road Bridge this month signalling another successful milestone of winter construction on the SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension project.

Contractors worked over four nights to lift each 36 metre concrete beam and place it on top of the piers of the bridge with a 300 tonne crane. The beams were manufactured at Stahlton - a local pre-cast yard in Swanson and trucked to the site.

The Northwestern Motorway (SH16) lanes from Royal Road to Hobsonville Road were closed overnight and motorists followed detours on local roads so that the work could take place. Construction of the bridge is taking place in the middle of the signalised roundabout while live traffic travels around it.

The next stage of work to complete the bridge, relocate the services and widen Hobsonville Road will take place over the next four months. The six lane bridge is scheduled to be completed in late November and forms part of the Hobsonville Road Interchange with SH16. The new interchange will replace the existing at grade intersection of Hobsonville Road and SH16, near Westgate.

“We thank drivers for their patience and co-operation while construction continues on this key northern link of the Western Ring Route,” says NZTA Acting Regional Director for Auckland and Northland Tommy Parker.

Work is also progressing on the Trig Road Bridge to complete the bridge deck itself and finish the footpaths. Services are also being installed for telecommunications, water and power. Trig Road will then be realigned and a new road surface laid before the bridge opens in mid October.

At the other end of the new motorway, preparations are also underway to shift motorists onto two new lanes south of the current state highway at Monterey Park. Traffic will move onto this new section of road in October so that earthworks can continue on the Squadron Drive Interchange.

For more information on the SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension project, phone 0800 520 202 or visit www.nzta.govt.nz/upperharbourmotorway.

May 2009

Motorway shoots ahead

There’s been a hive of activity over the summer as the NZ Transport Agency’s (NZTA) SH18 Hobsonville Deviate project begins to take shape (pictured).

Local residents will now be able to see the path of the motorway through the back of Hobsonville towards Whenuapai. Key interchanges are now well under construction at Hobsonville Road, Trig Road, Brigham Creek Road and Squadron Drive (near Monterey Park).

Inside the roundabout at Hobsonville Road
Piling for the new Hobsonville Road Bridge in the middle of the temporary signalised roundabout took place over the summer holiday. The team is now focusing on placing the bridge beams on top of the piers in preparation for pouring the final concrete road surface.

Trig Road Bridge
A new two-lane bridge as part of the Trig Road Interchange is half complete and giant 53-tonne beams have been put in place on top of the piers.

Squadron Drive Interchange
Further down the road near Monterey Park and Upper Harbour Bridge, the SH18 lanes motorists currently travel on will have moved by mid-winter. This new interchange under construction is named after a new road that will be built called Squadron Drive which will connect to Buckley Avenue via an overbridge. Traffic will be shifted south onto the permanent westbound lanes of the new motorway as part of construction on the overbridge.

December 2008

New signalised roundabout at SH16 and Hobsonville Road

Motorists will notice changes at the end of the Northwestern Motorway at Westgate from today with a new signalised roundabout now in use.

This is the next step in the Transport Agency's SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension motorway project.

Traffic lights on the approaches to and within the roundabout will keep traffic moving smoothly around the construction area until 2010, when the roundabout will be removed.

During this time motorists should drive with caution, observe the signals and be ready to stop within the roundabout if needed.

The project team will be building a new bridge across the motorway within the roundabout. The bridge is built at ground level and then the earth is dug out from underneath for the motorway to pass under.

"The signalised roundabout is the best way to keep traffic flowing during the bridge building and reduces the number of road closures needed," says NZTA acting regional manager Tommy Parker. "The design of the roundabout provides the most straightforward format for motorists approaching the intersection from all directions - they won't have to change lanes or divert to other roads on their journey."

Signalised pedestrian crossings will give safe passage for local school children through the junction. The road safety team at Waitakere City Council is working with West Harbour School to encourage pupils to 'Go Up and Around' instead of crossing the motorway.

Auckland's first signalised roundabout was installed at the intersection of the Southwestern Motorway (SH20) and Hillsborough Road in January 2007 as part of construction of another link in the Western Ring Route, the SH20 Mt Roskill Extension. The success of the Mt Roskill roundabout encouraged NZTA to use the same approach at Westgate.

When opened in 2012 the two motorways will help to reduce travel times for motorists by providing a better connection between Waitakere City and North Shore City. The Hobsonville motorway also forms the northern link in the agency's Western Ring Route. When completed, the ring route will give an alternative to SH1 between Albany and Manukau City via SH1, SH20, SH16 and SH18.

The NZTA thanks motorists for their patience and ongoing co-operation while construction of the new motorway continues.

New Hobsonville motorway begins construction

Turning the first sod on the site of a new motorway at Hobsonsville from left, Mayor of Rodney Penny Webster, Deputy Mayor of North Shore Julie Parfitt, Minister of Transport Annette King, Mayor of Waitakere Bob Harvey and Associate Minister of Transport Judith Tizard.

New motorway for Waitakere commuters has officially begun construction after a sod turning ceremony today (October 6).

Transport Minister Hon. Annette King turned the first sod on the NZ Transport Agency's SH18 Hobsonville Deviation and SH16 Brigham Creek Extension. Also joining Minister King was Associate Minister of Transport Judith Tizard, Mayor of Waitakere City Bob Harvey, Deputy Mayor of North Shore City Julia Parfitt and Mayor of Rodney District Penny Webster.

The $220M project will help to reduce travel times for motorists by providing a better connection between Waitakere City and North Shore City. Construction is expected to take four years with an opening scheduled for 2012.

Mayor Harvey says the new motorway will link Waitakere, Rodney and the North Shore with the rest of the Auckland region, benefiting both business and commuters.

The new six kilometre, four-lane motorway is the last section of the new SH18 to begin construction. The project also includes a three kilometre, two-lane extension of SH16 to a new roundabout at Brigham Creek Road.

The Hobsonville Deviation features four interchanges at Hobsonville Road, Brigham Creek Road, Trig Road and Buckley Avenue. A cable-stay bridge at Clarks Lane will give pedestrians and cyclists direct access across the motorway. The existing cyclist and pedestrian path on the Upper Harbour Bridge will connect to Hobsonville Road via the new Buckley Avenue Bridge. There will also be provision along the motorway route for bus shoulder lanes to be installed in the future.

"The new Hobsonville motorway will increase capacity and help to relieve congestion that often builds along Hobsonville Road. The NZTA's Greenhithe Deviation and Upper Harbour Bridge projects opened last year and are already improving travel times. This project is the final connection to the Northwestern Motorway (SH16) at Hobsonville Road," says NZTA acting regional manager Tommy Parker.

The motorway will provide the transport infrastructure to support planned urban growth in Waitakere City. It will also give extra capacity to cope with a new housing development planned for the site of the old Hobsonville airbase.

The project also forms the northern link in the agency's Western Ring Route. When completed, the ring route will give an alternative to SH1 between Albany and Manukau City via SH1, SH20, SH16 and SH18.

NZTA Newsletters

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Business, Industry and Jobs

Conveniently located close to the future town centre, flood land is available for an employment area near to the motorway. This area could provide employment for around 4500 people, who will be within walking distance of the town centre. These nearby industries and the people working there will support the economic viability of the town centre.

Housing

Other areas in and around the new Massey North/Westgate town centre and the industrial area have been ear marked for more housing. The intention is that this housing is located close to the new town centre, so that people can easily walk to shopping, entertainment, and leisure facilities.

Other relevant information

There are a number of planning documents and agreements covering this area. They include:

• The District Plan changes
• The Northern and Western Sectors Agreement (an agreement between Waitakere City Council, North Shore City and Rodney District Councils).
• The Upper Waitemata Harbour Study
• The Waitakere City Growth Management Strategy
• ARC's regional planning documents
• Building Community in Massey
• Totara Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP) consent discharge (Ecowater)