Motorists travelling along the Waikato Expressway’s Ngāruawāhia section will need to plan for full weekdaynight closures throughout November with the possibility of a full week of 24/7 closures at the end of the month.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi project services senior manager Jo Wilton said the high levels of activity on the site were aimed at ensuring the project would be complete before the Christmas rush.
“We’re absolutely determined to get this finished and open to four lanes of traffic by mid-December, which is why we’re throwing more resources at this,” Wilton said.
“This project to repair and upgrade this section of the Waikato Expressway has caused ongoing disruption for some time and we’re asking for a bit more patience from motorists while we ramp up activity on site to finish the job.”
SH1 Ngaruawahia road works: The detour routes are different for each direction due to works in Ngāruawāhia town preventing southbound highway traffic using this route as a detour. Photo / New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
SH1 will be closed between the Wairakei Roundabout and Broadlands interchange from Monday to December 6.
A press release from NZTA said the district would be very busy in December and there would be pressure on the highways and local roads because of both events and road works.
“Motorists are encouraged to use the official detour,” the press release said.
Southbound traffic on SH1 will turn left onto SH5, right onto Ohaaki Rd, right onto Broadlands Rd, and left back onto SH1. Northbound traffic will follow the same detour in reverse.
“Those travelling to north or south destinations either side of Taupō may prefer to use other state highway routes such as SH3, SH4, SH32 and SH49.”
Roadworks will continue until mid-November, weather permitting, from Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri where a full road closure is in place. Photo / John van de Ven
From late November, a section of highway between Putāruru and Tokoroa will be affected by further closures for about four weeks. Details of this work have not yet been released.
Roadworks will continue until mid-November, weather permitting, from Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri where a full road closure is in place. From Ātiamuri to Wairākei stop/go traffic management will be in place while contractors work on road sealing, stabilisation works and the installation of a median safety barrier.
For motorists travelling from Hamilton to Waiōuru or further south, SH49, SH4 and SH3 are available as an alternate route.
SH1 Pōkeno, Te Rapa Karāpiro, northbound to SH2
At Karāpiro resurfacing works near Kentucky Rd will start at 8pm on Monday and could take about five nights to complete. The work will take place from 8pm to 5am each night with stop/go traffic management in place. Delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected.
Five nights of line marking work on the Te Rapa section of SH1C north and southbound will start overnight from Sunday between 8pm and 5am. Road closures will be in place in one direction at a time between Wairere Drive and the Horotiū interchange.
Rehabilitation works on SH2. Photo / NZTA Waka Kotahi.
Other roadworks in the region:
East Waikato
SH25 is affected by roadworks and repairs in three places. At Waitakaruru a single-lane bridge will be closed until at least November 29 for deck replacements.
At Thornton Bay seawall repairs are expected to take up to two weeks to complete depending on weather conditions. The road will be reduced to a single lane with stop/go traffic management in place on weekdays between 7am and 5pm.
At Tairua repairs to a large underslip at Pumpkin Hill near Sailors Grave Rd are underway. Work at this site will take about six months to complete. There are temporary speed restrictions and a shoulder closure through the worksite. At times, stop/stop traffic management will be required.
An underslip has reduced SH41 to one lane at Tokaanu. The road will be down to one lane under stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit. Works to repair the slip are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
West Waikato
Work on SH26 Morrinsville Rd should be wrapping up on November 15. Until the work is complete a one-way westbound detour is in place 24/7 via Tauwhare Rd and Platt Rd, adding about four minutes to journeys.
On SH30 at Bennydale, a six-week road rebuild is scheduled to start on Ellis Rd near Ohirea Rd. Works will take place between 7am and 7pm each day with stop/go traffic management in place. Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected.
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.
