Update on Projects on SH1

Longer term plans for Karapiro Road/SH1 include a grade-separated, full diamond interchange to connect the local roads with the expressway.

Long term plans for SH1 between Cambridge and Piarere

Progress is being made on the project for the long term improvement of State Highway 1 (SH1) between Cambridge to Piarere.  

We are proposing a 16km long four-lane expressway extending from the southern end of the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway to the intersection of SH1 and SH29 at Piarere.

The indicative alignment for the project broadly follows the existing SH1 from the end of the Waikato Expressway to Karapiro Road.  Near Karapiro Road, the alignment deviates onto a new offline corridor that sits approximately 1km north of the existing SH1 and ends at the SH1/29 intersection.

A map of the indicative alignment can be found on this link.  

The key components currently proposed are:

• The road will have 4 lanes for its entire length of approximately 16 kms and be expressway standard design with central median and wide shoulders (similar to the Cambridge Section of the Waikato Expressway).
• There will be no direct access for properties onto SH1. All property access will be from existing roads or new local roads adjacent to the alignment where required.
• Local roads will be located on both sides of main alignment of the Project, between the existing end of the Cambridge Section of the Waikato Expressway and the proposed Karāpiro interchange.
• Four bridges are proposed on the main alignment, one at the proposed interchange, two over ecologically sensitive environments and one over a stream.
• Central and roadside barriers will be constructed along the full length.
• A full diamond-shaped, grade-separated interchange will be located south-east of the existing SH1 and Karāpiro Road intersection and connect to local roads. 
• A bridge will go over an extension of Tunakawa Road for private property access.

The next stages of the project
The next step, which is where the project is now, is to secure route protection. This involves processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to allow Waka Kotahi to require designations and to obtain regional resource consents to ensure we are ready to proceed if and when funding is made available.

Once route protection is secured, funding must be confirmed (see points below). Then the next stages include detailed design, tendering and construction.

Route protection: completing concept design
Route protection of the preferred route entails Waka Kotahi completing a concept design. To create the concept design, there is a lot of detailed work underway in areas such as identifying and addressing environmental effects including ecological, landscaping, urban design, groundwater, archaeology, air quality, vibration and noise.

This will result in a number of design plans which will form part of the Notices of Requirements (NORs) and consent applications.

Based on those concept designs, Waka Kotahi will seek consents and notify its requirements for designations under the RMA.

In May 2022, the preferred road alignment was shared with affected landowners. Thank you to those landowners for the valuable discussions.

Route protection: public consultation prior to lodgement
The public will have the opportunity to see the design plans and to discuss the project with members of the team before the required documentation is submitted to the councils. A public information session in Cambridge will be held soon, anticipated to be in September or October 2022.

Route protection: public participation in the RMA process
Waka Kotahi will then proceed to finalise the required documentation for protecting this route for the future.

NoRs will be lodged with Waipā District Council and Matamata-Piako District Council. At the same time, Waka Kotahi will lodge resource consent applications with the Waikato Regional Council.

When we lodge these, we will request that they are publicly notified. This means that any member of the public can make a submission to the councils with respect to the notice of requirement or the consent applications and participate in the process.

We will update everyone on this e-newsletter database and through a website update when we have a definite date as to when lodgement will be.

Funding not yet allocated for further project stages
No funding has yet been allocated for construction of the 16km expressway between Cambridge and Piarere and is not expected until later in the decade. However, route protection is a very important step to ensure we are ready to proceed if and when funding is made available.

The total cost of the project is currently estimated to be approximately $635m. There is no funding available in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) to prioritise this project for detailed design and construction before the 2027 – 2030 period.

The new flexible median barriers installed near Maungatautari Road

Safety Infrastructure work happening

While the long term project will be be far safer than the current SH1, there are a number of plans to improve safety on the existing SH1 in the interim.

The proven solution to preventing head-on crashes is to install physical separation between opposing traffic using the flexible median barrier system.

1.6km of flexible median barriers have just been installed on the Cambridge side of Maungatautari Road and there is more to come. The installation of a further 4.2km of median barrier in that area is anticipated to begin this summer.

The 2.4km of flexible median barrier installed in December 2020 has already proven its worth. In the period between when it was installed and March 2020, it was hit 40 times. That’s 40 incidents which could have resulted in serious head-on crashes if the median barrier wasn’t there. In most cases when someone hits a flexible barrier they bounce back off and can continue on their way, with minimum damages.  By reducing the consequences of being distracted and crossing the centre line, we are making our roads safer for all New Zealanders.

Designs are also well underway to improve the safety for the 7.5km of road from the end of the Waikato Expressway through to Fergusson Gully Road. This is complex work due to the many intersections, accessways and properties. We are considering a mix of  further flexible median barriers, roundabouts, rumble strips and intersection speed zones. The priority is reducing the risk of head-on crashes and improving intersection safety, including at SH1/Karapiro Road.

This is currently nearing the end of the feasibility stage, meaning that we are awaiting approval of the initial design and the identified implications for consenting, property and scope. Once the proposed approach is approved, we will move into the detailed design which involves full landowner, stakeholder and community engagement. We will then be able to finalise designs and finalise funding.

These changes support our Road to Zero vision.

Connecting with current and future shared paths is a goal

Walking & Cycling between Cambridge and Piarere

We are now developing the walking and cycling part of the Detailed Business Case (DBC) for the Cambridge to Piarere Long Term Improvement project. The aim is to ensure a range of safe and enjoyable walking and cycling connections are available in the general area of this project.

There are a number of options being considered both next to the proposed Cambridge to Piarere expressway and also further away, such as near the Lake Karapiro.

Any new shared paths needs to connect with the amazing cycling paths already in the area, such as the Te Awa Trail, the Hauraki Rail Trail (north of the new SH1 alignment) and the Waikato River Trail (at Horahora Rd).

Waka Kotahi is working closely with key partners and stakeholders. There will be opportunities for landowners and the public to be involved shortly. 

The cost of these works is yet to be confirmed, but early estimates suggest a range of between $13 million to $65 million.  Funding for this would form part of the overall project budget and be delivered at the same time as the rest of the Cambridge to Piarere Project.

Ashley White doing the honours of turning the first sod, observed by Waka Kotahi's Mike Wood and Ngāti Koroki Kahukura’s Poto Davis

Blessing to start archaeological and geotechnical investigations in Cambridge

Having a safer and more efficient state highway between Cambridge and Piarere as well as improving access for the local community are objectives for the long-term Waka Kotahi project to improve State Highway 1 between Cambridge and Piarere.

It was therefore very fitting to recently hold a blessing ceremony at 7am on Ashley and Colleen White’s property on SH1 while the trucks, cars and emergency vehicles streamed past constantly. While the Whites say they have become somewhat used to the 24-hour noise, they often have extreme difficulty getting in and out of their driveway.

On hand to do the karanga was Ngāti Koroki Kahukura’s representative, Poto Davies while Inia Murch performed the karakia, and was staying on as kaitiaki (cultural monitor) of what might be discovered.

Over the noise of the nearby traffic and in the gentle rain, Ms Davies talked about how tupuna still walk in this area, and the karakia acknowledged them, the land and river and asked them to keep safe those in this area and involved in this project. While a digger did the work of  excavating the test pits, Mr White did the honours of turning the first sod with a spade.

The blessing marked the start of a detailed archaeological and geotechnical investigations required for the long term project. Test pits of four metres deep will be dug on a variety of properties, starting on the White’s property. This information is required as we progress towards lodging the applications necessary for route protection.

By doing these investigations, we can identify any constraints such as a previously unrecorded archaeological sites and to further understand the geotechnical characteristics of the soil. Depending on what is found, it could lead to some mitigation being required.

Since the blessing took place, archaeologist Sian Keith has been investigating the presence of borrow pits along the future route as there are a number of circular depressions on various properties, including the White’s place. These indicated sites where early Māori removed sand and stone to add to the soil in their gardens as the region’s staple crops, kumara and taro, preferred this mix. The project team also expect to find kumara pits which were underground storage chambers.

For archaeologists, the most interesting part of the test pits is the top-soil and what is just underneath it. The material below that is of interest to the geotechnical experts.

An older aerial photo of SH1/29 T-intersection

NZ Upgrade's SH1/29 intersection improvement

The consenting and designation process for the NZ Upgrade Programme's intersection improvement project at SH1/29 has progressed to the point where an application for Direct Referral to the Environment Court has been submitted and accepted. The hearing is set down to commence on 5 September 2022.

Enabling work for this project includes relocating, lifting and undergrounding the overhead power lines and poles and relocating telecommunication cables to ensure they are in the right place.

This work has commenced with Northpower drilling and undergrounding some of the overhead power lines. Some power poles will be removed and others upgraded as part of this work.  Transpower will lift a pylon to ensure there are suitable clearances for the future roundabout.

There  may be some more traffic management in place while work is undertaken, but it should be mainly shoulder closures. 

SH1 will be closed for tree felling to take place

Maintenance work on SH1 Cambridge to Piarere

Ahead of another busy ‘construction’ season commencing in October, contractors are completing a range of work on State Highway 1 between Cambridge and Piarere next month to help ensure the state highway network can continue to operate safely and efficiently.

From Monday 8 August, SH1 will be closed between Karapiro Road and the SH1/State Highway 29 intersection, from 9am to 4pm, for one week. This will allow tree felling and road surface repairs to take place safely and efficiently.

When undertaking tree related work, traffic needs to be stopped periodically when trees are felled, to ensure the safety of work crews and road users, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager, Maintenance and Operations, and it makes sense to close the road for longer periods to increase efficiency.

“Every time the crew stops traffic it takes time to set up traffic management, and then pack down again to let everyone through afterwards. By closing the road for a number of hours at a time we are letting the team get on with their core job within a protected environment. This speeds up their work, getting more done within a shorter timeframe.

“Closing the road also allows us to complete other work within the same area, reducing overall delays throughout the busy summer period.”

During the road closure, people will be detoured via Karapiro Road, Taotaoroa Road and SH29; HPMV, over-weight and over-dimension vehicles will be stacked at either end of the worksite and let through at 11am and 1pm. Residents and businesses will have access to and from their properties throughout the day, as required.

“For those driving from further afield, we recommend you plan your journey in advance and allow additional time for your journeys due to the closure. Travellers heading to Tauranga, Taupō or other destinations may wish to consider using State Highway 27 and other connecting state highways to avoid delays,” suggests Ms Lauder.

Later this year, work to rebuild a section of SH1 just north of Gorton Road is planned alongside a number of reseal sites on the Cambridge to Piarere corridor. As well as this, a further 4.2km of flexible median barrier is expected to be installed by the end of spring 2023, complementing the 1.6km that was installed in May 2022, and 2.5km installed in December 2020.

“The work this summer builds on what was completed last summer, which included resurfacing the intersections with Hydro Road and Karapiro Road, completing the resurfacing near Maungatautari Road, and installing the flexible median barriers along the same Maungatautari section,” says Ms Lauder.

“These changes support New Zealand’s Road to Zero vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads by ensuring we have safe roads for everyone to drive on.”

Waka Kotahi is investing $150 million into road maintenance in the Waikato region during 2022/23.

More 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