Waikato state highway maintenance programme

Saturday 8 November to Friday 14 November 2025

7 November 2025

What is a rolling block ?

A rolling block is a traffic management technique that temporarily slows or stops traffic by using vehicles to create a controlled gap in traffic. This allows for short-term, high-risk work, such as construction or maintenance, to be performed safely on a roadway or section of state highway without a complete closure.

How it works

• Pacing vehicles: One or more attenuator vehicles are used to slow the flow of traffic to a controlled, reduced speed.

• Creating a gap: The attenuator vehicle moves across all lanes, forcing drivers to slow down and creating a gap in traffic behind them.

• Work zone: The gap provides a safe, short-duration window for workers to complete activities like placing road cones or removing traffic management, utility work, or clearing debris without being exposed to live traffic.

• Controlled release: Once the work is finished, the attenuator vehicle allows traffic to resume to normal speed.

Why it is used

• Safety: It keeps workers safe by creating a safe environment for them to perform tasks on or above an active roadway.

• Efficiency: It allows for faster completion of work activities by creating an exclusive work zone for a short time.

• Minimising disruption: It is less disruptive than a complete, long-term road closure, as traffic is kept moving, albeit at a reduced speed.

State highway maintenance and renewals update

State highways with scheduled works starting this week:

• SH30 East of Bennydale
• SH25A Kōpū Hikuai
• SH1 Tokoroa to Ātiamuri
• SH1 Maramarua

Roadworks may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule.

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter.

Check the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times before starting your journey: journeys.nzta.govt.nz

Thames - Coromandel

State Highway 25 and State Highway 25A, road works and potential impacts to journeys.

Work starting next week

SH25A Kōpū Hikuai Road - closure: Daytime closures are needed on SH25A for 2 weeks in November for a major road rebuild. The work will take place from Monday 10 until approximately Friday 21 November, with the road closed between 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. The closure points are SH26/SH25A at Kōpū and SH25/SH25A at Hikuai. All traffic through the closure points by 8am will get through before the daily closure. The road will reopen under single lane and stop/go each evening from 5pm and on Sunday 16 November. Critical services such as first responders and school buses will be escorted through the site during the day. All other vehicles will be required to take the SH25/SH2/SH26 detour which adds an hour to the travel time. More information.

Work underway 

SH25 Kūaotunu: Underslip repairs are underway and the state highway on Kūaotunu Hill is reduced to a single lane. While work is underway the road is expected to remain open with lane shifts, however some short-term closures may be needed. Traffic management and speed restrictions are in place. The repairs are due to be completed in December.

SH25 Whangamatā: Repairs to a bridge on the outskirts of Whangamatā mean a closure and short detour is now in place until about Tuesday 9 December. Urgent deck work is needed on the Moana Anu Anu Bridge (also known as the Wentworth Bridge) on SH25. The bridge closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, on Wednesday 29 October. The closure runs 24/7. The detour through Whangamatā uses Mayfair Avenue and Martyn Road, due to council watermain works on the usual detour route via Port Road and Hetherington Road. The detour adds a few minutes to normal journey times.

West Waikato

Work underway

SH39 Whatawhata: A road rebuild near Walsh Road, south of Whatawhata, requires a continuous 2-week detour which started on Tuesday 28 October. This follows several weeks of shoulder and drainage work managed under stop/go traffic control. The road will be closed between SH23/SH39 at Whatawhata (north) and SH39/Tuhikaramea Road (south). The detour route via SH23 and Tuhikaramea Road through Dinsdale will add approximately 8-10 minutes to travel times. Inter-regional traffic, particularly freight, is advised to use SH1 and SH3 to bypass the closure.

SH30 east of Bennydale (2 worksites): Two road rebuilds are kicking off in November, the first is starting Sunday 3 November with drainage works expecting to take 2 to 3 weeks, followed by a road rebuild taking a further 2 weeks - completion expected early December. The second worksite is due to start Monday 17 November with shoulder and drainage works taking 2 to 3 weeks, followed by the road rebuild taking 2 weeks - completion expected mid-December. There will be stop/go traffic management and a reduced speed limit on both worksites. Work will take place between 7am and 7pm each day with stop/go traffic management remaining in place overnight.

East Waikato

Work starting soon

SH29 Kaimai Range - closure: The Kaimai Range will close for 5 nights, from Sunday 30 November to Thursday 4 December, between 7.30pm and 4am each night (reopening early Friday morning). These closures are necessary to complete urgent scaling works on the Ruahihi Bluffs, along with routine maintenance, including drain clearing, and road marking and surfacing. Further closure details and more information on access and detours will be provided in the coming week.

South Waikato

Delays across SH5: People travelling along SH5 between Tīrau and Rotorua during October will encounter three seperate work sites - SH5/SH28 roundabout construction; road maintenance at SH5 near Waiohotu, and road rebuilding at SH5 Tārukenga. People should expect delays and plan ahead.

Work starting next week

SH1 Tokoroa to Ātiamuri: We’re returning to do the final surface on approximately 8.2 kms of SH1 between Tokoroa and Ātiamuri. This overnight work is scheduled to start Sunday 9 November and will continue for 20-night shifts (weather dependent). We need to close the road during this work because of the volume of asphalt we are laying across lengthy sites. We will complete the northern 2 sites (north of Kinleith Road) first and then shift to the southern sites (south of Kinleith Road) to minimise the length of the detour routes. Work will start near the Kinleith overbridge first. From Sunday 9 November, SH1 will be closed overnight between 7pm and 6am, from the SH1/SH32 intersection at Tokoroa to the SH1 Kinleith intersection. Overnight traffic will be detoured from SH1 down SH32, Old Taupō Road, Kinleith Road and back onto SH1. This detour adds approximately 5km and 5 minutes to travel time.

SH1/5 Thermal Explorer Highway: Resurfacing will take place for 5 nights starting Sunday 9 November between 7pm and 7am each night by the new CVSC site in Taupō. There will be a 4-way stop/go traffic in place with a reduced speed limit.

SH1 Waitahanui: Starting Monday 10 November we will have overnight stop/go between 7pm and 6am at Waitahanui, to complete asphalt work.  Work will be Sunday to Thursday, 7pm to 6am. Please prepare for some delays.

Work underway

SH1 Putāruru to Tokoroa: Overnight work continues using stop/go traffic management on sites between Putāruru and Tokoroa. Work is between 7pm and 6am, Sunday to Thursday nights. During the day there are temporary speed limits. Because of poor weather over the last few weeks, we will be working overnight today (Friday 31 October), the work due to start on the Puriri passing lanes will now start in early 2026.

SH5 east of Tīrau: Road widening between SH28 Whites Road and Waimakariri Road to allow for the installation of wide centrelines continues until Monday 15 December. Traffic is being managed through the site under speed restrictions with some stop/go. More information.

SH1 Taupō to Tūrangi - Motuoapa: Enabling work is expected to finish today (Friday 7 November) at the southern end of Motuoapa (weather dependent). We will be returning to this area in early 2026 to complete asphalting work.

SH1 Hatepe Hill: Overnight work will continue using stop/go traffic management until Sunday 9 November (weather dependent). This marks the completion of our work at Hatepe Hill.

SH1/SH5 Taupō: A Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre is under construction at the SH1/SH5 roundabout. The in-road weigh-in-motion scales on the 5 roads heading towards the safety centre have been installed. Work on camera technology and electronic sign boards is progressing. Work in the lanes has largely finished, apart from an occasional lane closure for a day, but continues on the road shoulders. More information.

SH5/SH28 Harwoods Road: SH5/SH28 Harwoods Road: Construction of a roundabout at this intersection east of Tīrau is underway. Traffic is being managed through the site with speed restrictions but there will be a closure of SH28 at the worksite from Thursday 13 November to Wednesday 17 December. There will be a detour available via SH27 and SH29. Traffic will be on the new roundabout in March 2026. More information

North Waikato

Work starting this week

SH2 between Monument Road and Dimmock Road: Stop/go traffic management will be in place for maintenance on Wednesday 12 November between 9pm and 5am.

Waikato summer renewals map

The map below indicates worksites which may inpact your journeys this summer maintenance season.

More information

For more information on the Waikato state highway maintenance programme, contact us at waikatomaintenance@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/waikato-maintenance

View our state highway maintenance frequently asked questions.

For information about what’s happening with other infrastructure projects across the region please visit Waikato projects website