Concerns viaduct diversions bad for business

Auckland businesses are concerned traffic diversions put in place while the Newmarket Viaduct is developed will be bad for business on Father's Day, and create traffic mayhem.

The southbound segment of the Southern Motorway between Gillies Ave and Greenlane will be closed for up to 36 hours on September 4 and 5, meaning up to 60,000 vehicles will have to be re-routed through local roads.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Cameron Brewer said commuters were being advised to stay well clear of Newmarket over the weekend, meaning already struggling businesses would miss out on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

He also questioned the New Zealand Transport Agency's decision to re-route motorway traffic down Mortimer Pass, one of the smallest streets in central Auckland. 

However, he did support the development as a whole. 

Tori Percy, manager of clothing store Double Exposure, said she would not bother opening for business on Sunday because customers were expected to be few and far between.

``And one of our staff members lives on the North Shore, so it's going to be a nightmare for them to get to work anyway,'' she said.

Euro Style manager Jacob Jarhbait said father's day was typically busy for them, and he was disappointed they would not be able to cash in on it.

``We are in the menswear business so a lot of people will shop on that day.

``I think if they chose this weekend or the weekend after it would have been much better,'' he said.

An estimated 15,000 Aucklanders walked or cycled across the three newly constructed southbound lanes of the viaduct today, 18 months into the development of the city's busiest motorway. 

A fourth southbound lane should be completed by early 2011 and construction of new northbound lanes and demolition of the old northbound bridge is expected to be completed by 2012.

New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Gez Johns said while he understood the traffic diversions were an imposition on Newmarket businesses, every measure had been taken to ensure impact was minimal.

``We also want to make it absolutely clear to all would-be visitors to Newmarket that it is possible to get in there and the train service runs directly to the new train station in Newmarket.''

The 15,000 or so visitors that came to the area today to see the viaduct development would also mitigate the effects of next week's lost business, he said.

``During the course of the day we've brought close to 20,00 people through the area and every single person who's come over the bridge has been encouraged by our marshals to check out how Newmarket's been developing, and I think it's been very successful - Newmarket is packed today.''

- NZPA