By Jane Luscombe
Thousands of people have taken a stroll down Auckland’s newest section of motorway.
But it is next week when the country's busiest road will put Aucklanders' patience to the test.
There haven't been this many people in Auckland’s trendy shopping suburb since before the recession.
But alas for Newmarket retailers, they weren't here to spend money.
You might not guess from looking, but it was a road causing all the fuss.
“You will never walk over it again so make the most of it, it's a one-off job this,” says Gavin Browne.
Rising 20 metres over the city, it replaces the existing 50-year-old viaduct, which couldn't be guaranteed to survive a decent earthquake.
“It was a huge task to build a new structure over the top of Broadway, one of the biggest shopping streets in the country,” says Tommy Parker, of the New Zealand Transport Agency.
The $215 million price tag has bought a decent view.
It's all smiles now, but next weekend could be different when the southbound lanes of the country's busiest motorway are closed for up to 36 hours, before the traffic's switched to the new road.
The old southbound section will be demolished before work begins on the north side.
“Once we have done the switch we will have live traffic on either side, and the biggest demolition site in New Zealand in the middle,” says Mr Parker.
This is the second major project in Auckland to near completion this weekend, and there's more to come.
Work is already underway on the Victoria Park tunnel, which will connect with the Harbour Bridge. Then it'll be the big one - the controversial Waterview Tunnel.
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