The works were dependent on factors like weather and could be postponed at short notice.
For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours, and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the NZTA Journey Planner website.
Ongoing and upcoming roadworks in the Waikato:
East Waikato
· SH2 Karangahake Gorge: Through the gorge the 600m section between Crown Hill Road and School Road has had its speed reduced temporarily from 80km/h to 50km/h. This section of the highway includes the entrance to the Karangahake Reserve, which is the starting point for many of the popular walks in the historic gorge. The temporary speed limit will be in place until after Waitangi Day. More information.
· SH25 – Coromandel: Recovery works are ongoing at a number of sites across the peninsula, with temporary traffic management in place. This currently includes works to stabilise the large slip sites at Ruamahunga Bay, Pumpkin Hill, and Wharekaro. The road will be reduced to a single lane under stop/go traffic management with stop/stop traffic management as required.
· SH24 Te Poi: Road rehabilitation work started on Monday 15 January between Te Poi Road and Stopford Road on SH24. The work is expected to take 2 weeks to complete, with road closures in place during the day and the road reopening at night from 7pm through to 6am. There will be a detour in place via SH29, Te Poi Road and SH24.
· SH26 Morrinsville: Due to asphalt resurfacing, there will be a full road closure from Sunday 14 January to Friday 26 January (opening at 5pm) between Thames Street and Allen Street. The closure will be in place 24 hours a day, during this time a detour will be available for eastbound road users via SH26, Avenue North, Snell Street, Studholme Street, Coronation Road and Seales Road and westbound via SH26, Roaches Road, Kereone Road, Walton Road and Studholme road. The road will be open to residents, Fonterra tankers and HPMV’s travelling westbound through the worksite.
· SH25 Otakeao Stream Bridge: A routine bridge inspection will be undertaken on Tuesday 30 January, from 5am – 7am. To allow the crews to inspect the bridge safely, there will be a single lane closure and stop/go traffic management will be in place. This is expected to only cause minor delays.
· SH26 Waihou River Bridge: A routine bridge inspection will be undertaken on Sunday 4 February, from 8pm – 12am (midnight). To allow the crews to inspect the bridge safely, there will be a single lane closure and stop/go traffic management will be in place. This is expected to only cause minor delays.
· SH26 Ohinemuri River Bridge: A routine bridge inspection will be undertaken on Monday 5 February, from 1am – 5am. To allow the crews to inspect the bridge safely, there will be a single lane closure and stop/go traffic management will be in place. This is expected to only cause minor delays.
Central Waikato
- SH1 Lichfield: The northbound slow lane near Puriri Road is closed until further notice, while investigations take place into repair options.
- SH1 Ātiamuri: Road widening is under way for safety barrier installation along a 6.9km section of SH1, from the Waikato River Bridge south to Thorpe Road. Work is behind temporary safety barriers and there is a 50km/h speed restriction. From 22-26 January there will be stop/go operating 6am-6pm at a narrow section where safety barriers cannot be used. Expect delays of up to 5 minutes. From 30 January the stop-go will be 24/7 until approximately 9 March. Light vehicles can use Oruanui Road-Forest Road-Tirohanga Road and vice versa as an alternative route to avoid delays on SH1.
- SH1 Maroa Road: The 4.8km site is currently operating at 100km/h until finishing works for the safety barrier installation resume at the end of January under speed restrictions and stop/go traffic management.
- SH1 East Taupo Arterial: Road widening and flexible safety barrier installation for 5km from Napier Road to the airport roundabout begins on Monday 15 January. Speed restrictions will be in place with completion expected to be mid-2024. More information.
- SH5 Wairakei: Road rehabilitation near Dick’s Hill and Palmer Mill Road will occur in two stages from 19 January:
- Dick’s Hill: Runs from 19 January until 16 February. Work will take place from Monday to Saturday between 6am and 6pm with stop/go traffic management will be in place with temporary speed limits. Outside of these hours both lanes will be open with reduced speed limits.
- Palmer Mill Road: Will start on Monday 19 February and run until 15 March. Work will take place from Monday to Saturday between 6am and 6pm with stop/go traffic management will be in place with temporary speed limits. Outside of these hours both lanes will be open with reduced speed limits.
- SH41 Tokaanu: Due to a washout, the road is down to one lane under temporary traffic lights, with a 30km/h temporary speed restriction in place.
- SH1 Halletts Bay: Upcoming roadworks on SH1 near Halletts Bay, between Taupō and Tūrangi, is scheduled for Tuesday 30 January to Saturday 3 February, weather dependent. Stop/go traffic management will be in place at the worksite between 7am-9am and 2.30pm-7pm each workday, with the road closed between 9am and 2.30pm on these days. As the worksite is located at a narrow section of road, there is not room for both machinery and vehicles side by side. The only option is to close the road for periods of time to complete the work. A detour will be in place: North to Taupō via SH41, SH32 and Poihipi Road. North to Rotorua via SH41, SH32, SH30. North to Hamilton via SH41, SH32. And vice versa. More information.
- SH4 Makatote: Road rehabilitation continues at the Makatote Viaduct between National Park and Tohunga Junction. This work is expected to take 2 weeks to complete. There will be road closures between 8am and 4.30pm between Tuesday 23 January to Thursday 25 January, weather dependent. When the road is closed a detour will be in place via SH49, SH1, SH46 and SH47, back to SH4 and vice versa. This detour will potentially add 1.5 hours to journey times. Intermittent stop/go will be in place between the hours of 6am and 6pm Monday to Saturday. More information.
West Waikato
- SH1 Waikato Expressway - Ngāruawāhia section: Safety improvements and remedial works have resumed, and night-time detours are planned, as work continues to bring the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway up to 110km/h standard. There is a block of closures, Sunday to Thursday each week, running from 14 January to early February. There will be detours in place, 7pm-5am each night, on the following dates: Northbound: January 14 to 18, Southbound: January 21 to 25, Southbound: January 30 to Feb 1, and Northbound: February 4, 6, 7 and 8. The detours are different for each direction due to roadworks in Ngāruawāhia town which prevent southbound highway traffic using this route as a detour. The northbound detour takes SH1 traffic via Ngāruawāhia on the old highway between Horotiu and Gordonton Road interchanges. HPMVs must use SH1B, and overweight vehicles need to use SH2/27, under an existing overweight permit. Southbound detour traffic will use SH1B, re-joining SH1 via Lake Road, however heavy vehicles (50 tonnes and above) must continue on SH1B, including the local road detour around Telephone Road, and connect to SH1 again at Cambridge or via SH26 into Hamilton. More information
- SH1/SH29 Piarere Intersection: Work on the SH1/SH29 Piarere Roundabout has started with enabling works. This will require alternating shoulder closures on SH1/SH29 with no delays to traffic. We expect this work to take up to 2 weeks. More Information.
- SH1 Karāpiro (Keeley’s Reserve): The bulk of the work has wrapped up on the turnaround bay at Keeley’s Reserve in Karāpiro. The reserve has reopened to the public and the turnaround bay can be used. Due to a nationwide shortage, the streetlighting system is yet to be installed, this will be completed in February 2024. More information.
- SH 1 Karāpiro: Work is underway on a section of SH1 between Keeley’s Reserve and Moana Roa Road in preparation for median barrier being installed in early 2024. The main construction work involves 1.5km of shoulder widening, temporary barrier installation, earthworks and pavement construction, followed by surfacing, lighting and permanent barrier installation. During the majority of the construction the slow lane of the southbound passing lane between Keeley’s Reserve and Moana Roa Road will be closed, and the worksite will be under a temporary speed limit of 50km/h. Access in and out of Kentucky Road will remain open. Construction is expected to be finished by late June 2024.
- SH1 Karāpiro (Gorton Road): The construction of turnaround bays at Tunakawa Road and Gorton Road will get underway later this month. Work will begin at Gorton Road on Monday 22 January 2024, followed by Tunakawa Road approximately 5 weeks later. While construction crews are onsite, there will be no right turn onto Gorton Road (Monday to Friday, 24/7). This means that southbound traffic wanting to access Gorton Road will need to travel to the new turnaround bay at Keely’s Reserve to change direction. This will add around 4-6 minutes to your journey. The right turn in will reopen during the weekends and on public holidays. The left turn onto Gorton Road and left and right turn onto SH1 will remain for the duration of construction, with a stop sign rule applied. There will be periods of stop/go nightworks and one full night closure (12.30am – 6am) of the Gorton Road intersection, otherwise access will remain for residents/road users. The impact on SH1 traffic is expected to be minor delays as there will be speed restrictions in place. The speed will be reduced to 30km/h through the intersection, as well as 400m northbound on SH1 and 700m southbound on SH1, while construction crews are onsite (7am - 6pm, Monday to Friday). Work on both turnarounds is expected to be completed by mid-April, after which the installation of flexible median barrier from Tunakawa Road to Fergusson Gully Road can begin.
- SH3 Ōhaupō: The Waipā District Council led Ōhaupō village pedestrian safety improvements are underway and are expected to be complete by late February. During this time lane shifts and stop/go traffic management will be in place, along with temporary speed limits.
- SH30 Te Kūiti: Due to a slip, priority give-way is in place near Mangaokewa Road, motorists are advised to proceed with caution.
- SH30 Kōpaki: Preparation for under-slip repairs will being on SH30 south of Kōpaki on 22 January, with work to create a shoulder area to allow vehicles to safely pass the worksite. Works are expected to last for a week, and there will be stop/go traffic management in place between 7am and 5pm. During this time, there may be delays of up to 20mins. The road will re-open in both directions at 5pm with a shoulder closure in place. Further work to repair the under-slip itself, will begin on 7 February and is expected to be completed by the end of February.
Taranaki
- SH3 Awakino: Final surfacing continues. Stop/go traffic management will be in place, with delays of up to 15 minutes expected. Work is expected to be complete by the end of March 2024.
- SH3 Uruti: Rock mesh slip protection work north of Mangamaio Road continues. Stop/go and stop/stop traffic management will be in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, along with a 30km/h temporary speed restriction. Delays of up to 30 minutes are expected.
- SH3 Te Ara Tutohu Waitara to Bell Block: Due to ongoing safety improvement work SH3 is closed between Nelson Street and Bayly Street until 2 February 2024. The road is closed to both lanes of traffic at all times, with a detour in place through Waitara. More Information
Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:
· Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
