Northland state highway maintenance programme

Saturday 28 February to Friday 6 March

27 February 2026

The crew making steady progress resurfacing the road at SH12 Kaikohe, due for completion on 3 March.

Kia ora and welcome

Welcome to this week’s Northland state highway maintenance roadworks update.

In this e-newsletter, we share updates on maintenance and renewal roadworks across the state highway network from Te Reinga Wairua (Cape Reinga) to Topuni.

Ngā mihi nui,
The NZTA Northland/North Auckland team

Upcoming roadworks

State highways with scheduled works this week:

• SH1 – Mangamuka, Ōkaihau, Pakaraka, Whakapara, Te Kamo, Brynderwyn Hills
• SH10 – Kaingaroa, Mangonui, Kaeo, Orotere, Waipapa, Pakaraka
• SH12 – Kaikohe, Paparoa
• SH15 – Kaikohe, Pakotai, Poroti to Maungatapere

Roadworks may be postponed due to rain or other factors that disrupt the weekly schedule. Please note 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: https://journeys.nzta.govt.nz/.

Information current as at 2:34pm on 26 February 2026.

State Highway 1 - Cape Reinga to Kawakawa

SH1 Mangamuka Gorge (southern side)
Retaining wall construction to repair a slip is underway until late May 2026. A 24/7 single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions are in place.

SH1 Mangamuka
Drainage and road rebuild work is underway until mid-April 2026, from 7am to 6pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH1 Ōkaihau
Water-tabling work will take place from Monday 2 to Friday 6 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and a speed restriction will be in place.

SH1 Pakaraka
Water-tabling work will take place from Monday 2 to Friday 6 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and a speed restriction will be in place

State Highway 1 – Kawakawa to Whangārei

SH1 Whakapara, near Puhipuhi Road
Road rebuild works will take place from Monday 2 March to Friday 27 March, from 7am to 6pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and a speed restriction will be in place.

SH1 Te Kamo, Springs Flat Roundabout Project (Whangārei District Council)
A road layout change is in place on SH1, to allow drainage work to begin on the east and a reduced speed limit of 50km/h will remain in place for the duration of construction. The project is on track for completion by February 2027.

State Highway 1 – Whangārei to Wellsford

SH1 Brynderwyn Hills, near waterfall corner
Drainage work will take place on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 March, from 7pm to 6am. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and a speed restriction will be in place.

State Highway 10

SH10 Kaingaroa, between Pukewhai Road and Mate Urlich Road
Road rebuild works are underway until mid-March 2026, from 7am to 6pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions is in place.

SH10 Kaingaroa, near Zidich Road
Road resealing will take place on Tuesday 3 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH10 Mangonui, near Hihi Road
Road resealing will take place on Wednesday 4 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH10 Kaeo, near Pupuke Mangapa Road
Road resealing will take place on Friday 6 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH10 Orotere, near McGee Road
Road resealing will take place on Thursday 5 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH10 Kapiro to Waipapa roundabout
Road repairs will take place from Monday 2 to Friday 6 March, from 7am to 7pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH10 Pakaraka intersection
Road resurfacing will take place on Thursday 5 March, from 7pm to 6am. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

State Highway 11

No significant works scheduled for this week.

State Highway 12

SH12 Kaikohe, between Rankin Steet and Quarry Road
Road resurfacing will take place from Monday 23 February to Wednesday 4 March, from 8pm to 5am. No work Friday and Saturday nights. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place, with a short detour via SH15, Recreation Road and Rankin Street planned for 25-26 February and 1-2 March. There will be no parking on SH12 through Kaikohe’s main street during work nights, excluding Friday and Saturday.

SH12 Paparoa, between Pahi Road and Paparoa township
Road rebuild work is underway until early-April 2026, from 6:30am to 5:30pm. 24/7 stop/go traffic management or temporary traffic lights and speed restrictions are in place with a single lane closure.

State Highway 14

No significant works scheduled for this week.

State Highway 15

SH15 Kaikohe, Mangakahia Road and Recreation Road intersection
Road resurfacing will take place on Tuesday 3 March, from 8pm to 5am. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH15 Pakotai, near Opouteke Road
Stabilisation repair work will take place on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 March, from 8am to 5pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management or temporary traffic lights and speed restrictions will be in place.

SH15 Poroti to Maungatapere, between McBeth Road and Tatton Road
Stabilisation repair work will take place from Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 March, from 8am to 5pm. A single lane closure with stop/go traffic management or temporary traffic lights and speed restrictions will be in place.

Rebuilding Northland’s roads: what lies beneath

What you see on the surface is only one part of the road. Beneath the asphalt or chipseal are several layers that carry the weight of every vehicle and keep everything stable. When those deeper layers start to deteriorate the surface may still look okay for a while – but cracks, potholes and other problems will keep coming back.

That’s why some parts of Northland’s state highways need full road rebuilds. This isn’t just a fresh layer of asphalt or another layer of seal. Crews dig deep to replace the structural layers beneath the surface, rebuilding the road from the ground up. In some areas, this can mean excavating up to 900mm to strengthen the entire foundation.

Rebuilding gives the road a fresh foundation and typically extends its life by around 20–25 years, with only occasional resurfacing needed during that time. It’s a bigger job upfront, but it results in a smoother, safer highway – and fewer potholes and patch-ups in the future.

This process takes time. Each layer must be prepared, laid, compacted, and tested as we build up the road. After applying the first seal, we return 6–12 months later for a second coat. That gap allows the materials to settle and helps prevent “flushing” – when excess bitumen or emulsion (in other words, the glue we use to bind everything) rises to the surface, making the road look slick and reducing friction between the road and your tyres.

These works can take several weeks. But there’s no practical way to rebuild a road this deep without some disruption such as detours or temporary access changes. For example, it isn’t safe to drive over a dug-out worksite, but we work closely with residents and businesses to keep disruption to a minimum and make sure everyone knows what’s happening.

The result is higher-quality state highways that will serve Northland for decades to come.

This season we’ve already completed major rebuilds such as on SH1 Towai, SH12 Oue Hill and SH10 Oromahoe. Work is currently under way at key sites including SH10 Kaingaroa, SH12 Paparoa and SH1 Helensville. Upcoming key sites include SH1 Whakapara (stage 2), SH12 Hodgson Road to Wallace Road and SH16 near Inland Road, with more rebuilds scheduled over the coming months.

A full list of current, upcoming and completed sites is available on our website.

Click here to see a larger version of the graphic below.

SH10 Oromahoe road rebuild – during construction and after completion

More information

For more information on the Northland/North Auckland state highway maintenance programme, contact us at info@nzta.govt.nz or 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449)

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/northland-state-highway-maintenance

View our state highway maintenance frequently asked questions

For information about what's happening with other infrastructure projects across the region visit Northland projects website