“Contractors will be moving temporary steel safety barriers next week as they continue shoulder works and complete work in both the north and southbound lanes.”
Work would start this weekend.
The northbound closures would be in place from Sunday until Tuesday, from 7pm to 5am.
The southbound closures would be in place from Wednesday, July 31 until Thursday, August 1, from 7pm to 5am.
The detours for the night closures of the Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato Expressway. Graphic / NZTA
During the closures, the detour routes would be different for each direction due to works in Ngāruawāhia town that prevent southbound highway traffic using this route as a detour.
The northbound detour would take SH1 traffic via Ngāruawāhia on the old highway between the Horotiu and Gordonton Rd interchanges. HPMVs must use SH1B, and overweight vehicles need to use SH2/27, under an existing overweight permit.
Southbound detour traffic will use SH1B, rejoining SH1 via Lake Rd. However heavy vehicles (50 tonnes and above) must continue on SH1B, including the local road detour around Telephone Rd, and connect to SH1 again at Cambridge or via SH26 into Hamilton.
NZTA asked people to take extra care when travelling along the detour route and follow any temporary speed limits, signs and instructions from the traffic management team.
Contractors were carrying out shoulder widening works and construction of new maintenance bays, shoulder barrier works and structural pavement treatment works.
A final continuous asphalt surface would complete the repair works, replacing the temporary chip seal and asphalt surfaces, which have been in place during earlier temporary repairs and while moisture monitoring was conducted.
The safety improvements needed to bring the road up to the 110km/h standard include making side barriers continuous and upgrading some barriers.
The works are expected to finish in mid-2025, although NZTA and its contractors are continuing to look at ways to finish the works earlier.
