Loop Rd will get safety treatments and turning facilities at the SH15 and Portland Rd intersections.
The saying goes "if there is no struggle, there is no progress". This may be true, but we realise it can be a struggle to see progress, if you're stuck in a queue of traffic.
State Highway 1 is Aotearoa's busiest state highway corridor. For Northland, it's a critical 150km stretch between Auckland and Whangārei that connects Northland's towns and communities. It is a major freight route and also the key route north for travellers, commuters, visitors, and of course locals.
Right now, it can be slow at times, with the potential of lane closures and temporary speed limits while we are working. We are sorry for the inconvenience to all road users who rely on this important highway.
Everyone wants to see investment in their region's roads. For Northland, this investment is happening right now. The numerous road crews you encounter are not just a sign of potential delays, they are a sign of progress. The crews are doing the mahi that Northland has been calling for, to deliver the improvements necessary to ensure SH1 continues to be a safe, resilient, reliable, and accessible road for generations to come.
If you take a step back from the cones, the speed limits and the stop/go signs, you will see they are all part of something bigger. Each crew is part of a bigger project team, and each worker just one of the many who are working on Waka Kotahi's four major SH1 projects in Northland - Ara Tūhono-Pūhoi to Warkworth, Dome Valley safety improvements, Loop Rd safety improvements, and the soon-to-start Whangārei to Wellsford safety improvements project.
The four projects are big in every way - big investments, big in scale, and big in the improvements they are making. They are big in their impact on anyone who uses the road, both now while under construction and, more importantly, in the future, when they will continue to serve our children and mokopuna.
Loop Rd will get safety treatments and turning facilities at the SH15 and Portland Rd intersections. Dome Valley is delivering much-needed safety barriers, wide centre lines and shoulder widening. Ara Tūhono-Pūhoi to Warkworth is something we know you are waiting for, providing a brand-new safer, more reliable and resilient 18.5km four-lane motorway. The soon-to-start Whangārei to Wellsford safety improvements will deliver safety barriers, wide centre lines, rumble strips and shoulder widening.
These projects have a common goal – to make SH1 safer and more reliable for road users. The projects create improved intersections, better sightlines, more separation between oncoming vehicles, and more protection from hazards if a driver should make a mistake. By reducing the risk of crashes and other incidents on the highway, unexpected traffic delays will also reduce, making everyone's journeys safer and their journey times more reliable.
We understand the long-term benefits from these projects come with a short-term trade-off and Waka Kotahi apologises for any inconvenience they are causing you today. We are also grateful for the understanding and patience road users have shown in the face of ongoing works.
For our part, we are always mindful of the potential traffic impacts our work could cause and actively look for ways to minimise disruptions for road users wherever possible. This is why we do most of our work overnight and try to avoid public holidays.
We co-operate and co-ordinate with other organisations to reduce disruption, such as Vector as they install high-voltage cable ducts and electric cable through the Dome Valley, and Auckland Transport as they build a road tie-in near Matakana. It's a busy corridor.
Beyond the short-term challenges, what we are doing and the infrastructure we are building will have enormous benefits for you and your communities. Please continue to bear with us and please feel free to get in contact should you need to.
0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) https://www.nzta.govt.nz/contact-us/feedback-or-comments/
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/connecting-northland/
Stephen Collett is Waka Kotahi regional manager Northland and Auckland