State Highway 1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance project

First SH1 closure underway, second closure on Monday

13 September 2024

There's a lot happening in the next few weeks and this newsletter is packed with maps and information. Please contact us via email if you do need any other specific information, or have any concerns. 

We know that unexpected disruptions can be frustrating and we are endeavouring to keep you informed as much as we can. 

The crew amping to get cracking on Monday morning

SH1 is now closed between Tīrau and Putāruru

SH1 was closed on Monday for 4 weeks from the SH5 roundabout to the intersection with SH28, close to Putāruru following a blessing from local iwi Raukawa. 

Raukawa kaimahi Joseph Kaponga and Kaumātua Te Hapuku Rikiriki (pictured below) officiated the karakia held on the first day of the work. Joseph says “this project affects many iwi and hapū as it runs from Piarere to Waiouru. Here in our rohe we are keen to ensure that the work undertaken on our roadways is done quickly and safely, it’s about protecting the road crew, travellers and keeping communities connected.”

Having the road closed will allow crews to work at pace in a safer environment, although the road is still available for residents and essential vehicles to use, so there are strict safety procedures in place within the site.

While the road is closed, the opportunity to do other work is being taken. This includes 330m2 of smaller localised minor repairs, 10 culverts and 7 catch pits to be cleaned, lowering 400m of road shoulder to follow the grade of the road to allow even water flow off, clearing loose material along the road corridor and refreshing signs and line markings.

Shoulder work underway

One of the first jobs done on SH1 between Tīrau and Putāruru when it closed was getting the shoulders cleared (see photo below) and the angles right so the water is able to drain away from the road.  Water getting into the pavement is one of the main ingredients of the recipe for potholes!  

Other photos below show work underway this week. 

Detours for Ātiamuri - Wairakei closure

SH1 Ātiamuri to Wairakei closure starts on Monday

The second closure of SH1 starts on Monday!  The closure is during the day in both directions from Ātiamuri (SH1/30 intersection) to Wairakei (SH1/SH5 intersection). These daytime closures will be from Monday 16 September until Friday 4 October. The road will be closed from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Saturday. The road will re-open at nights from 6pm - 8am and on Sundays.

The detours for light vehicles (ie all vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence) is via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Road down to Wairakei Drive. This will add approximately 40km and 27 minutes extra to journeys. 

For all heavy vehicles, the detour will be via SH30 and SH5 which is an additional 62kms and approximately 42 minutes. 

Residents, businesses and emergency services will have access at all times. There will be monitored access maintained by the traffic management crew at each end. Those requiring access need to talk to the crew, and regulars, such as residents, will be issued with passes to make the process easier. 

When the road is open, there will be temporary speed limits in place, as well as signage and some cones. 

Further work is needed on this section of SH1, so another closure will be required at a later date (currently proposed to be late November and some of December). 

Detour route for the planned nightwork

SH1 Piarere to Tīrau night closures

The third section of SH1 to be partially closed (just nights) will be from Piarere (SH1/29 intersection) to Tīrau (SH1/SH27 intersection) in both directions. 

This starts on Sunday 29 September from 7pm and will reopen at 6am on Friday 18 October.

The night closures won't happen every night - they are from 7pm to 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights. The road will be open from 6am each Friday morning until 7pm Sunday nights.

There are 2 sites within this section and both require structural asphalt resurfacing. Putting in place a fulltime 24/7 road closure is not as efficient in this instance as we need to ensure each layer meets quality standards before moving to the next.

This traditional night work approach will reduce traffic disruption and allow other project areas to proceed simultaneously.

Residents, businesses and emergency services will have access available at all times.

The detour is via SH29 and SH27 as shown in the map above.
 

SH1/29 roundabout at Piarere

Great progress has been made on the SH1/29 roundabout and later this month you will be able to drive on it! 

On Tuesday 24 September there will be 2 temporary approaches opening to the roundabout, while work continues on the third (Tīrau) approach.

To enable the traffic switch, a SH1 southbound lane closure is required so a temporary tie-in to the intersection can be constructed.

The 1-day SH1 southbound closure will take place on Tuesday 24 September from 6am (subject to weather), impacting Hamilton to Tīrau traffic. You will be required to detour via SH29, SH27, to SH1 adding around 12 minutes to your journey time.

If you are driving north, you will not be impacted, and access will remain for residents, school buses and emergency services.

There will also be a short period where traffic will be stopped to enable the switch, between 4am and 5am on 24 September.

Once the temporary tie-in is completed, the SH1 southbound lane is expected to re-open early evening of 24 September, with the SH1 (Cambridge) and SH29 roundabout approaches in action.

Indicative dates of future work

There are further closures in the planning stages. Any work required in the townships is planned to be done at night to lessen disruption.

These are indicative dates, and could change, especially if it gets too wet! 

Underway this month: 

• SH5 Tīrau to SH28 Putāruru: 9 September – 4 October 2024
• SH1 Ātiamuri Bridge to Wairakei Roundabout: 16 September - 4 October 2024 (daytime closure only, between 8am - 6pm, Monday to Saturday)
• SH29 Piarere to North Tīrau: 29 September for 3 weeks (night closure only)

Coming up in the future:

• SH32 Tokoroa to SH30 Ātiamuri: early October – early November 2024
• SH28 Putāruru to SH32 Tokoroa: Late November – 23 December 2024
• SH30 Ātiamuri to SH5 Wairakei part 2: November – December 2024. 
• SH41 Tūrangi to SH49 Waiouru: January - February 2025
• SH1/SH5 Roundabout Taupō to Tūrangi: March - April 2025
• Tīrau township to SH1/SH5 roundabout: Spring 2025
• Taupō urban: Spring 2025

More detailed information on dates, durations and detours will be shared as soon as it is available.

Additional work will be required in these sections a few months after the initial closures. This is to lay the final asphalt surface coat on areas undergoing a rebuild as these need time to settle with normal traffic. Applying final asphalt surfaces before this has happened will result in a poorly finished surface. The work required to apply the final coat will only take a short time and some may possiby be done at night.

We recognise and acknowledge there will be inconvenience and disruption to people while this work is carried out, especially locals and businesses on SH1 and the detour routes.

By taking this new approach, the programme for 110 lane kms of work can be condensed from over 4 years to under 16 months. The result will be a superior highway with less maintenance and patching required in the future. The treatments will be designed to not only meet expected traffic growth, but to have a long-term life, ensuring resilience.

Road renewal season

As well as the road rebuilds and resealing underway for this project, there will also be plenty of activity in other parts of the highway network throughout New Zealand over the summer to take advantage of the warmer weather which is needed to rebuild roads.

Waikato region is benefiting from the national funding injection of over $2 billion for pothole prevention and maintenance, with a significant volume of road renewals planned in this region over the next 3 summers.

There's a closure of the Waikato Expressway coming up on the next two Saturdays which is a bit different. Using a helicopter, Northpower is pulling transmission wires across SH1 Waikato Expressway and Racecourse Road near Cambridge.  This means there will be closures between the northern interchange (Cambridge Road) and SH1B interchange (Hautapu) on Saturday 14 September between 12pm and 4pm and again on Saturday 21 September between 12pm and 4pm.

To plan the best route for your journey, we encourage you to check out Journey Planner before setting off. 

More information

Please pass this on to others who may be using SH1 in the next few months and encourage them to sign up to this newsletter by using the subscribe button below. 

For more information or any concerns on the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance, please email us at SH1Waikato@nzta.govt.nz

More information is available on our website nzta.govt.nz/t2w