SH1 Cambridge to Piarere

Project update

12 August 2024

Contractors will begin work to permanently close the right-turn out of Hydro Road later this month.

Karāpiro work to wrap up at Hydro Road

Safety improvements on State Highway 1, near Cambridge, are almost complete, bringing some changes for road users.

Construction in the area got underway in March 2024 and includes a new turnaround bay just north of Hickey Road, road widening and the installation of side and median safety barriers.

As part of the finishing works, the right-turn out of Hydro Road onto SH1 will be permanently closed. Contractors will be on site from Monday 19 August to begin this work for an expected period of 3 weeks.

During this work road users should expect periods of stop/go on Hydro Road and temporary traffic management with a reduced speed limit on SH1. Contractors will be on site from 7am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, with the possibility of work from 7am – 2pm on Saturdays if needed.

Following the right-turn closure, road users wanting to travel south will make use of the new turnaround bay north of Hickey Road to safely change direction. This will add around 4 minutes to journeys.

With completion near, the speed limit in the area has been reinstated to 100km/h, from north of Hickey Road to south of the Karāpiro Road/SH1 intersection. The previous temporary speed limit of 80km/h was put in place late 2022 as an interim safety measure ahead of these permanent infrastructure improvements.

All work in the area is expected to be completed by mid-September.

For more on the project, visit our SH1 Cambridge and Piarere page: SH1 Cambridge to Piarere safety improvements

Median barrier in Karāpiro which has been struck by a vehicle, preventing a potentially serious crash.

Barrier prevents deadly head-ons

Up to 75% of the people who die or are seriously injured on rural roads have either had a head-on collision or have run off the road. The proven solution to preventing head-on crashes is to physically separate opposing traffic, using flexible median barriers.

With around 12km of median barrier now in place on SH1 between Cambridge and Piarere, we have eliminated the risk of head-on collisions on the bulk of this road.

We have already seen the difference the barrier can make, with the barriers between Cambridge and Piarere being struck multiple times since installation.

Prior to carrying out this work, there were 2 – 3 crashes each month along the corridor with 15 - 16% of these fatal or serious. While the frequency in crashes may not change now, the outcome will, with fewer people killed or seriously injured.

Read more on our use of median barriers here.

The new Piarere roundabout is expected to open to traffic in late September with two roads operational.

Piarere roundabout taking shape

Since construction commenced in January, the new 2-lane roundabout at the intersection of SH1 and SH29 in Piarere continues to take shape.

The 2 shared path underpass structures have been installed on the SH1 and SH29 approaches and pavement work on the roundabout is underway. Meanwhile construction continues on the southern side, where the Tīrau approach road is being built.

While this work is underway, traffic south of the roundabout has been moved onto a bypass road adjacent to SH1. This arrangement is expected to remain in place until late September 2024, after which the roundabout is expected to open to traffic with two approach roads operational (SH29 and SH1, Cambridge side), while work continues on the third (SH1, Tīrau).

Once complete, the roundabout will improve efficiency, connectivity and safety on a high-volume traffic route, which is one of New Zealand’s most critical corridors. It will also connect with the future expressway between Cambridge and Piarere.

All construction is on track to be finished in mid-late 2025.

Work is progressing on a 16km long, 4-lane expressway between Cambridge and Piarere.

Cambridge to Piarere Expressway

The State Highway 1 Cambridge to Piarere expressway (C2P) project has been confirmed by the Government as a Road of National Significance. We are committed to delivering this critical piece of infrastructure that will support economic growth and get people and freight to where they want to go, quickly and safely.

NZTA has applied for referral under the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (NBEA). The NBEA provides a fast-track consenting process for some infrastructure projects, including roading, and is quicker than the standard Resource Management Act (RMA) process.

The NBEA is an existing fast-track consenting pathway that is intended to be replaced by the new fast track pathway under the proposed Fast-track Approvals Bill. While we’re seeking potential listing under the Fast-track Approvals Bill, we’re applying to use the NBEA which allows us to progress now and transfer later if needed.

Our referral application is joint with Transpower as we may need to relocate services, including some overhead powerlines. NZTA is working with Transpower to understand the full scope of this work.

We’ll provide regular updates on the consenting process on the project website.

In brief:

Fergusson Gully intersection lighting: We have installed lights at the intersection of Fergusson Gully Road and are working with the local network provider to get these connected as soon as possible. It is hoped they will be active within the next four weeks. We thank the community and road users for their patience.

SH1/Karāpiro Road: With work on the Cambridge to Piarere Expressway project progressing, careful consideration is being given to this area and improvements to this intersection will be considered as part of the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). We expect to know more after September 2024 and will provide an update to the community then.

More information

For more information on the SH1 Cambridge to Piarere, contact us at c2p@nzta.govt.nz

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