The Ngauranga Interchange at the foot of the

Ngauranga Gorge The Ngauranga Gorge is in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1 runs through the gorge, a vital link between central Wellington, Wellington City and its northern suburbs and Porirua City and the Kapiti ...

is a major interchange in the suburb of

Ngauranga Ngauranga is a suburb of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, in the lower North Island. Situated on the western bank of Wellington Harbour, it lies to the north of the centre of the city. The name comes from the Māori language, Maori-langua ...

, in

Wellington City Wellington City Council is a Territorial authorities of New Zealand, territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, ...

, New Zealand. The Ngauranga interchange connects

State Highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

1 and 2 with each other and also to Hutt Road for access to the interisland ferry terminals and alternative access to Wellington City. The majority of traffic in and out of Wellington City uses this interchange. It is the southern terminus of State Highway 2.

Design

The interchange connects State Highways 1 and 2 to the Wellington Urban Motorway. Southbound traffic on SH1 may continue onto the Wellington Urban Motorway or exit before the interchange and proceed through the adjacent intersection to Hutt Road or to SH2. Southbound traffic on SH2 may continue onto the Wellington Urban Motorway or exit before the interchange and proceed through the intersection to Hutt Road or to SH1. Northbound Wellington Urban Motorway traffic may proceed straight ahead for SH2 or veer left for SH1 at the interchange. Similarly northbound Hutt Road traffic may proceed straight ahead for SH2 or veer left for SH1 at the intersection. Hutt Road and the Wellington Urban Motorway run parallel to each other from Wellington to Ngauranga.

History

Before the construction of the Wellington Urban Motorway, the interchange comprised a single set of traffic lights between Hutt Road (SH2) and Centennial Drive (SH1). On opening of the Wellington Urban Motorway in 1969, the interchange was modified to a fork. Traffic from SH2 could exit for Hutt Road and SH1, or could proceed straight for the motorway. At the traffic lights, vehicles from SH1 could turn right for Hutt Road and Wellington, or turn left for the SH2 towards the Hutt Valley. SH1 traffic could not access the motorway. The opening of two ramps in 1984 allowed traffic from SH1 to access the motorway directly. This is how the junction remains today. {{New Zealand motorway list Roads in New Zealand Road interchanges in New Zealand Transport in Wellington Wellington City State Highway 1 (New Zealand)