Waikato Expressway Ngāruawāhia section reopens to four lanes for Christmas

Remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today. Photo / NZ Transport Agency

Holidaymakers driving on State Highway 1’s Ngāruawāhia section will have a clear run after more than two years of remedial works and safety improvements ended today.

The 12.3km Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway cost $166 million and first opened in December 2013. Some of the remedial work on the section began in 2019.

More than two years and about 75,000 tonnes of asphalt and 34,000 tonnes of milled-out material later, motorists will be able to use all four lanes of the highway.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the road would be fully reopened to traffic today, just in time for the Christmas rush.

“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users while NZTA got this job done,” Brown said in a statement.

“Finishing these works before the Christmas holidays will be a welcome relief for motorists who regularly use this important transport corridor.”

Work between Horotiu and Taupiri on the Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato Expressway up to the 110km/h standard. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Brown said it was his goal as minister to ensure people and freight could get to where they needed to go quickly and safely.

“It’s pleasing to see these works completed so that road users can travel at faster speeds across this section of the successful Waikato Expressway.”

NZ Transport Agency senior manager project services Jo Wilton said there was a shout of Christmas cheer this morning as traffic flowed up and down the highway at 110km/h.

“Road users have been very patient while we get this job done,” Wilton said.

“The narrow worksite with high volumes of traffic have presented a lot of challenges so we are pleased to see this stretch of SH1 back and fully operational.”

Waikato District Council Mayor Jacqui Church said she was delighted to see the improvements completed.

“Thank you to NZTA and the contractors who have worked so hard over the last few weeks to enable SH1 to open to its full capacity and at 110 kilometres per hour in time for everyone to enjoy safe journeys over the Christmas period.”

Recent works on the section were led by Fletcher Construction, with the repair portion being completed under a cost-sharing arrangement with NZTA.

NZTA contractor Fulton Hogan provided additional horsepower to complete the works by Christmas.

Wilton said the remaining remedial works to complete the project, such as planting to improve the water quality of road run-off, can be done behind the new safety barriers and without traffic management.

Works on the SH1C portion of the Ngāruawāhia section – on each side of the Waikato River bridge – will be done next year.

Waikato Expressway Ngāruawāhia section remedial and safety works included:

• Sealing over the median area – to limit moisture entering the pavement and prevent further failures
• Reshaping outside lanes
• Minor drainage improvements
• Various pavement treatments depending on the existing pavement condition
• Asphalt surfacing
• The safety improvements saw side barriers made continuous, some barriers upgraded, additional maintenance and turnaround bays for emergency services, shoulder widening and some lighting relocations.
• The remaining remedial works to complete the project can be undertaken from behind the new safety barriers and without traffic management.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.