Latest information on SH1, Cambridge to Piarere

Making safety strides on State Highway 1

Work on a programme of safety improvements on SH1, Karāpiro continues to be a priority, with strides made in 2023 to reduce the number of serious crashes along this section of state highway.

Last spring, 2 turnaround bays were completed at Hydro Road and Keeley’s Reserve, providing safe places for people driving to change direction.

The focus now shifts to the installation of more median safety barrier and the design and build of further turnaround bays at Gorton and Tunakawa roads, starting in late January, followed by north of Hickey Road later in the year.

The map below shows what’s been done and what’s to come on this important safety project (click the map for a larger version).

Meanwhile construction of the highly anticipated roundabout at the intersection of SH1/SH29 gets underway this week. Read more on this below.

A blessing was held at the site of the SH1/SH29 intersection improvement project

Construction of key Piarere roundabout gets underway

The highly anticipated roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH29 in Piarere moves into construction this week.

After a competitive tender process, Downer NZ was awarded the contract and began minor works in December 2023, following a blessing of the site with local mana whenua – Ngaati Koroki Kahukura, Ngaati Hauaa Iwi Trust and Raukawa.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery for Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Jo Wilton, says many will be pleased to see work begin.

“The community and road users have been calling for improvements at this intersection and we are pleased to be underway to delivering this."

With an average of 20,000 vehicles traveling through this intersection daily, it’s a vital link between Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, and onto the central and lower North Island. 

Ms Wilton explained that a roundabout was the best option for a number of reasons.

“A roundabout will prevent deaths and serious injuries. They are a proven solution that save lives and reduce the risk of serious crashes. It will improve the traffic flow with 2-lanes and has been designed to allow for connection with a future expressway between Cambridge and Piarere.”

Read more here.

The project team can be contacted on C2P@nzta.govt.nz with any queries.

What’s next for safety improvements?

Work continues on a section of SH1 between Keeley’s Reserve and Moana Roa Road this week, in preparation for median barrier being installed.

Our contractor, Downer, carried out minor drainage and surveying activities prior to Christmas, with work to recommence on Tuesday 9 January 2024.

The main construction work involves 1.5km of shoulder widening, temporary barrier installation, earthworks and pavement construction, followed by surfacing, lighting and permanent barrier installation.

During the majority of construction, the slow lane of the southbound passing lane between Keeley’s Reserve and Moana Roa Road will be closed and the work site will be under a temporary speed limit of 50km/h. Access in and out of Kentucky Road will remain open.

Construction is expected to be finished late June 2024. We thank you for your patience throughout this work.

Meanwhile...

The construction of turnaround bays at Tunakawa Road and Gorton Road will get underway later this month. Work will begin at Gorton Road on Monday 22 January 2024, followed by Tunakawa Road approximately 5 weeks later.

While construction crews are onsite, there will be no right turn onto Gorton Road (Monday to Friday, 24/7). This means that southbound traffic wanting to access Gorton Road will need to travel to the new turnaround bay at Keeley’s Reserve to change direction. This will add around 4-6 minutes to your journey. The right turn in will reopen during the weekends and on public holidays.

The left turn onto Gorton Road and left and right turn onto SH1 will remain for the duration of construction, with a stop sign rule applied.

There will be periods of stop/go nightworks and one full night closure (12.30am – 6am) of the Gorton Road intersection, otherwise access will remain for residents/road users. More information on the closure will be provided closer to the time.

The impact on SH1 traffic is expected to be minor although there will be speed restrictions in place so some delay to journeys is anticipated. The speed will be reduced to 30km/h through the intersection, as well as 400m northbound on SH1 and 700m southbound on SH1, while construction crews are onsite (7am - 6pm, Monday to Friday).

Once these turnaround bays are in place, installation of the flexible median barrier from Tunakawa Road to Fergusson Gully Road will begin. At this point, the right-turn out of Keeley’s Reserve will be permanently closed.

The safety improvements project team also continues to progress other elements which will be a focus of 2024, including finalising land requirements for the SH1/Karāpiro Road roundabout and turnaround bay north of Hickey Road.

The turnarounds and median safety barriers, along with roundabouts at the SH1/Karāpiro and SH1/SH29 intersections, will make this stretch of SH1 much safer, reducing the risk of head-on crashes.

SH1 Gorton Road sealing work continues

Our maintenance contractor returns on Tuesday 9 January to apply a second coat seal following road rebuild works in October.

During this work southbound traffic will be detoured via Karāpiro Road, Taotaoroa Road and SH29 to re-join SH1. The northbound lane will remain open; however, vehicles will be stopped at regular intervals to allow heavy and over-dimension vehicles to travel through the worksite, with potential wait times of up to one hour.

Outside of work hours, 7pm to 7am, the road will be open in both directions. This work is expected to take 4 days to complete, weather permitting.

The latest on the long-term improvements

Work continues on securing route protection of the 16km expressway between Cambridge and Piarere. Once route protection is secured, funding must be confirmed. Then the next stages include detailed design, tendering and construction.

The level of funding available for different transport activities is determined by the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). NZTA allocates funding for specific projects and programmes through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), prioritising funding for projects within the levels set by the GPS. The NLTP gives effect to the GPS and we will know more once it has been determined by the government.

Additional information

For more information on the Cambridge to Piarere project, contact us at c2p@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/c2p