The Desert Rd is set to be closed for five nights next week for resurfacing in the Three Sisters area.
Work will take place from 6pm to 6am and at this time, traffic heading between Waiouru and Turangi will be diverted around the western side of Mt Ruapehu.
Waikato system manager Rob Campbell said that the narrow width of the Desert Rd in the Three Sisters area meant that it needed to be closed for the resurfacing equipment and staff to be able to work safely.
"We appreciate that it is an inconvenience for SH1 traffic to be diverted away from the Desert Road, however, the safety of crews working on the road is paramount," Campbell said.
He said they would like to acknowledge that this was late notice for the freight industry, however the work needed to be done and their contractor had the resource come available at short notice.