Kawakawa roundabout due to be finished in June 2021

Work on the hillside at the junction of SH1 and SH11 will improve the appearance of the intersection and enhance visibility for drivers. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Construction of a $6 million roundabout at the entrance to Kawakawa has entered a new phase with current work focused on a corner hillside.

Throughout this month contractors will be carrying out earthworks and vegetation clearance as well as installing new stormwater pipes and building a large retaining wall along the southern side of Queen St/State Highway 1.

NZ Transport Agency spokesman Darryl Walker said work on the hillside, at the junction of SH1 and SH11, would improve the overall appearance of the intersection and enhance visibility for drivers.

To allow traffic through while work continued on the hillside, the intersection had been shifted temporarily towards Johnson Park.

The SH1/SH11 junction at Kawakawa has been temporarily realigned, shifting it closer to Johnson Park to allow traffic through while work on the hillside continues. Photo / NZTA

Walker said the construction team had been working at night to install stormwater piping under the highway. That work had initially been planned for November but had been bumped up the schedule.

Construction of the single-lane roundabout — including the retaining wall and new pedestrian and cycling provisions — was due to be completed by June 2021, with landscaping from April 2021.

A 30km/h temporary speed limit would apply throughout the construction period.

The roundabout is one of several currently under way in the Mid North financed by the Provincial Growth Fund and the Government's $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade programme. The others are at the SH10/Waipapa Rd intersection and the SH10/Puketona Rd intersection.