The massive slip on the Mangamuka Gorge that is still being repaired after the July 2020 storm. The road will reopen for light traffic over Easter.
The massive slip on the Mangamuka Gorge that is still being repaired after the July 2020 storm. The road will reopen for light traffic over Easter.
A_PJ120121NAGgorge.JPG Traffic was flowing smoothly in January when the Mangamuka Gorge was last fully opened to light traffic after massive slips last year closed State Highway 1.
A_TW07082020NADACCIDENT024.JPG Traffic on State Highway One just north of Hikurangi will see delays and detours over the next three weeks as road repairs are carried out.
Traffic on State Highway 1 north of Whangārei will be disrupted for three weeks for road repairs, but there will be some relief for motorists in the Far North, with Mangamuka Gorge set to open for light traffic over Easter.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is warning that motorists face disruption on SH1 just north of Hikurangi for the next three weeks, including the road being closed - and detours in place - for a whole weekend.
The agency said there will be road repairs on SH1 north of Hikurangi for nearly three weeks this month that will include a full weekend road closure and a 10–20 minute detour.
The works on 300m of the highway about 1.5km north of Hikurangi starts today, and should be over by March 25, a week before the busy Easter weekend.
The permanent repairs will allow the removal of the 70km/h temporary speed limit and uneven surface signs. Some trees have been removed, so work can now start on fixing the road and the guardrail to improve safety and the driving experience through the area.
"It's important that we complete this work before the winter weather sets in and without disrupting Easter holiday traffic and the benefits visitors bring to the Northland economy," NZTA Northland system manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult said.
While road crews excavate and repair the road, traffic will be reduced to one lane under stop/go traffic control. A temporary speed limit of 30km/h will apply through the works areas, and some delays are expected.
Traffic on State Highway One just north of Hikurangi will see delays and detours over the next three weeks as road repairs are carried out.
"Our crews will monitor the queues and try to keep delays to a minimum,'' Hori-Hoult said.
She said in order to complete the work safely and efficiently, there will be a full closure of the road between 8pm on Friday, March 19 and 8pm Sunday, March 21.
There will be a posted detour in place that will add 10-20 minutes to the journey. The detour route includes two single lane bridges so there may be delays at busy times.
"We encourage people heading north from Whangārei or south from Kawakawa to travel on SH15 as an alternative to help reduce the number of vehicles using the SH1 detour route. This is also the preferred route for freight movements."
While the road is closed there will also be separate work to fix a section of uneven road surface just north of the construction area that will give customers a smoother journey through the area.
Hori-Hoult said road repairs don't usually require a full road closure, but in this case on SH1, there will be huge benefits in efficiently and safely progressing the work and reducing disruption for the travelling public.
Meanwhile, she said, repairs on SH1 through the Mangamuka Gorge are making good progress and the road will be open to light vehicles over Easter.
The plan is to open the road from Good Friday to Easter Monday with light vehicles travelling in each direction in one-way convoys every 15 minutes. The convoys will run from 8am to 7pm.
Traffic was flowing smoothly in January when the Mangamuka Gorge was last fully opened to light traffic after massive slips last year closed State Highway One.
"Motorists will have to approach the convoys with some flexibility as they won't run to a strict timetable. It will depend on how many vehicles turn up on the day and people might miss getting on the end of a convoy and have to wait up to 30 minutes for the next one. The good news though is that they will get through," she said.
Hori-Hoult said Waka Kotahi understands the inconvenience to the local community and impact on businesses of having to go via the SH10 detour route which adds time and cost to the journey.
"We opened the road for three weeks over Christmas and we're looking for more opportunities to allow public access. If the Easter convoys work well and there's a demand, we'll open the road to convoys on most weekends after that."
Meanwhile, heavy vehicles will have to keep using the SH10 detour route.
