SH2 set for the ?final alignment?
State Highway Two is set to flow free. A major traffic shift will take place on Tuesday 15 September when SH2 traffic in the left-hand northbound lane moves on to its new permanent alignment to travel underneath Korokoro Overbridge. Hutt City Council traffic engineer Wayne King says the final touches are now being put on an ?ideal project? to bring it near completion. ?The major difference is that the traffic in the northbound lane will now move onto the main road north, and not have to go up the Korokoro exit and past the old cemetery,? says Mr King. He says northbound traffic will be the most affected and for commuters wanting to get to Korokoro from Wellington City they should take the Petone exit, travel up the Hutt Road and then turn left onto the bridge. Southbound traffic headed for Korokoro should turn off at the Dowse interchange and then take a right onto the bridge. ?State highway two will be vastly improved, this is the final alignment ? it is a very major project that is well overdue. ?Overall this project has been ahead of schedule, and from our point of view it has been an excellent project and is absolutely ideal,? Mr King says. The new State Highway Two asphalt is around 150mm thick and is highly durable. Mr King says asphalt roads are preferred in New Zealand, although the United States uses concrete. There was once a concrete road running in-front of the old Ford Factory in Seaview. ?We don?t like concrete roads, like the Americans, they have twice the life but are twice the cost. ?Asphalt is a superior ride, and you can patch and repair it,? he says. One of the down-sides of long-lasting concrete roads is that over time they can tilt. ?I remember going on the Ford Road as a kid and thinking it was very tilted,? says Mr King.
