Latest information on SH1, Cambridge to Piarere

Hydro Road turnaround taking shape

Construction of the turnaround bay at State Highway 1/Hydro Road, east of Cambridge, is progressing well thanks to a dedicated construction team and patience from the public.

Work kicked off on the evening of 19 June and has seen temporary access roads created at the intersection, along with construction of the lower pavement layers.

Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery, Jo Wilton says it's been great to see so much progress made in a short period of time - with the weather mostly on our side.

"The team is working daylight to dusk to get this work completed as quickly as possible so things can get back to normal for the local community.

"We've been pleased to see many drivers and residents of Karāpiro Village using the recommended alternative route, Ariki Street, over the Karāpiro Dam, and I would like to acknowledge their support and patience."

Ms Wilton says the construction team will be working along Hydro Road at times during the next couple of weeks, so all light vehicles are again encouraged to use the Ariki Street route.

“The Police have been out and about daily keeping a close eye on SH1 traffic and driver behaviour on this busy stretch and we are grateful for that support. We will keep the community updated on progress over the coming weeks.”

Work is expected to be completed by the end of July - weather permitting.

Find out more about the safety improvements and view frequently asked questions. 

Recommended detour route

Most resident vehicles will meet with dam crossing vehicle restrictions and can use Ariki Street to go to and from Cambridge. Any residents that have vehicle restrictions or concerns can email the project team to discuss arrangements.

Service vehicles, the local school bus and couriers have all been contacted and agreed to re-route their service during this time.

What's a turnaround and how do they work?

Turnaround bays enable right-turn movements at safe locations. While you may need to drive a bit further to get to a turnaround, they offer a much safer right turn off and onto the road.

Turnaround bays are becoming increasingly more common on state highways and/or connecting local roads.

The turnarounds to be built over the coming year on SH1, between Cambridge and Piarere, have been strategically spaced to offer drivers a number of safe spaces to turn around, reducing the risk of head-on crashes from dangerous u-turns.

The turnarounds, along with median barriers and roundabouts at the SH1/Karāpiro and SH1/SH29 intersections will make this stretch of highway much safer.

View the safety improvements map here. 

When will the other turnarounds be built?

The turnaround north of Hickey Road is the next planned for construction.

Following this, the Keeley’s Reserve turnaround will be timed to avoid the peak recreational season as this intersection will require complete closure.

The remaining turnarounds are planned for early 2024.

The programming of the turnarounds is to enable median barriers to be installed in effective lengths, in three phases:

• Phase 1 - Waikato Expressway to Hydro Road, including Hickey Road turnaround.
• Phase 2 - Tunakawa Road linking to median barrier at Fergusson Gully Road, includes Keeley’s Reserve turnaround.
• Phase 3 - Linking Phase 1 and 2, this includes the roundabout at Karāpiro Road and Gorton Road turnaround.

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