Dome Valley SH1 closure: 30 truckloads of materials blocking road forces dangerous shortcuts

A slip over State Highway 1 at Dome Valley has forced the road to be closed in both directions for the second day in a row. Photo / Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Trucks taking shortcut roads after rockfalls at Dome Valley have seen queues of up to 100 vehicles and forced drivers to take evasive action to avoid hitting oncoming traffic.

The section of State Highway 1 is closed for a second day due to the slip, which is still moving and is filled with 30 truckloads of material.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the road is due to be closed for the rest of the day and overnight while crews work to control the slip, which is still moving and has so far spilled 30 truckloads of debris onto the road.

Today, helicopters were deployed to transfer water onto the slip in what is called sluicing, which washes the material off the top to break it up and prevent further slips.

Waka Kotahi’s regional manager of maintenance and operations Jacqui Hori-Hoult is reminding motorists that the official detour route for northbound traffic is from Pukerito roundabout, right to Old SH1 through Warkworth, right to Woodcocks Rd, onto West Coast Rd and right to SH16 - and in reverse for southbound traffic.

UPDATE 12:30PM, WED 28 JUN
Ongoing slip activity in the Dome Valley means #SH1 will remain CLOSED TODAY & OVERNIGHT between Wellsford & Warkworth. Please use alternative route via SH16 per details on our Highways map (updated 24/7) here: https://t.co/vb1xmUIa3z ^TP https://t.co/2ZguLd2y1M

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) June 28, 2023

Alternatively, motorists could also use SH16 from Wellsford.

However, many motorists including large trucks have decided to go over Matakana Hill to take a shortcut.

“We have noticed that some road users aren’t taking the recommended detours. We are working with various freight networks to promote the use of official detours,” said Hori-Hoult.

A slip over State Highway 1 at Dome Valley has forced the road to be closed in both directions for the second day in a row. Photo / Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Narelle Dinsdale said she had a terrible morning travelling over Matakana Hill.

Dinsdale wrote in a Facebook post that the road was too narrow to be used as a detour, with large trucks forcing other cars off the road.

“Avoid if you can, trucks are way too large and are taking up nearly both lanes and pushing people into the ditch to get around the corners, it’s so dangerous,” said Dinsdale.

“The road is bad enough.

“Just a caution that the road is busy and corners are scary when this happens.”

One person commented that a truck travelling in the middle of the road across Matakana Hill had about 100 cars backed up behind it.

Waka Kotahi said the slip is still moving.

“Safety is paramount for our crews as this work is being undertaken while the slip is still active.”

The section of State Highway 1 at Dome Valley which is closed.

A person travelling the diversion route yesterday had to navigate gravel roads and wrote on Twitter that Waka Kotahi had no idea it was endangering people’s lives by sending them across the road.

“It’s a goat track,” they wrote.

Rodney Local Board member and road safety campaigner Geoff Upson said the back roads around highway are known to be “way too narrow” in some sections.

Upson said it was a reminder that maintenance of state highways and construction of new highways need to be a priority.

Third world Northland.
This is the detour used this morning while the SH1 Dome Valley was closed with yet another slip. The morons at Waka Kotahi have no idea at all and endanger more lives using unsuitable roads for detours. Tahoua/ Kaipara Flats to SH16. Its a goat track! pic.twitter.com/iFrsiMKh6j

— Infideliter 🇳🇿🛠⚖️⚒⚙️🇳🇿 (@Infideliter2022) June 27, 2023