Northland state highway maintenance

Saturday 26 April to Friday 2 May

24 April 2025

SH1 Turntable Hill, Moerewa road resurfaced.

Kia ora and welcome

Welcome to the Northland state highway maintenance weekly roadworks update.

We hope you and your whānau stayed safe during the wild weather over Easter and last week. Our crews responded to slips, fallen trees, surface flooding and other impacts. A big thank you to everyone who travelled with care, and to the teams who were out on the ground through it all.

This newsletter covers maintenance and renewal roadworks across all the state highways from Topuni all the way to Te Reinga Wairua (Cape Reinga).

We’re currently delivering the largest road rebuild programme ever undertaken in Te Tai Tokerau Northland and North Auckland between 2024 and 2027. This work is really important to improve the condition of our roads and provide a safer and more enjoyable drive for everyone.

Our current renewal season (September 2024 – May 2025) is nearly complete. As at the end of March, around 97% of this season’s pavement and surfacing programme is done – that’s about 194 lane kilometres already resealed, resurfaced or rebuilt, with the final push aiming for approximately 200 lane kilometres by the end of the season.

The work has included chip sealing, asphalt resurfacing, patch repairs, drainage upgrades and road rebuilds. All chip sealing is complete, and the final road rebuilds are underway in high-traffic areas like Kawakawa, Akerama, Whakapara and Oakleigh. Drainage works will continue through to June.

As we head into Anzac Day tomorrow, we’d like to acknowledge the hard mahi of everyone working behind the scenes to keep Northland moving – and thank you again for your patience while this essential work continues. Please travel carefully through worksites, follow any signage and directions from roadworkers, and don’t forget to give our crews a wave to say thanks. They’re working hard to get the job done safely and as quickly as possible.

The slip on SH1 Brynderwyn Hills on Sunday 20 April – soil and trees are caught on the benches above the state highway to stop them reaching the road.

Brynderwyn Hills recovery works prove their worth during Cyclone Tam

A slip on SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills (between the SH12 intersection and Artillery Road) during Cyclone Tam temporarily reduced traffic to a single lane on Sunday evening, but both lanes were reinstated within a few hours after the debris was cleared. A 50 km/h temporary speed limit was put in place during the clean-up and will remain while final clearance work continues – it’s expected to return to 100 km/h ahead of the Anzac long weekend.

While minor movements can still occur during severe weather, the recovery works carried out last year were designed to reduce the likelihood of overslips and minimise disruption if one does happen. These works included benching (levels cut into the hillside), soil nailing, drainage upgrades and a wider road shoulder – which all helped keep this key route open.

The benches above the road did their job by catching falling trees and debris, preventing the majority of the slip from reaching the road and helping to avoid a full closure during a busy Easter weekend.

Crews have returned today (Thursday 24 April) to remove trees and debris from the benches above the road. Work began at 8:30am and will continue until 2:30pm, with periods of stop/go in place while contractors safely cut up the trees as part of the clearance. Delays are expected to be around 5–10 minutes, so please allow additional time if you're travelling during this window.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we undertake this important work to restore the road to its full capacity ahead of the long weekend.

Longer term, a Brynderwyn Hills alternative will be part of the Te Hana to Port Marsden section of the Northland Corridor – made up of 3 Roads of National Significance (RoNS).

For more information about the Northland Corridor visit: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/northland-corridor/

Teams from road resurfacing, vegetation management and other maintenance crews working together in the SH1 Te Kamo night closures this season.

Making closures count: planning ahead to reduce disruption

This month’s spotlight looks at how we’re working to minimise disruption by coordinating multiple jobs into the same closure.

We know roadworks can be frustrating, especially when it feels like the same stretch of road keeps being dug up for different jobs. That’s why we’re focused on coordinating across teams – so we can combine essential tasks and get them done with fewer repeat disruptions.

Earlier this season, we had two sets of planned night-time closures on SH1 through Te Kamo – one in November and another in January. We coordinated across crews to get as much done as possible during those closures.

In November, crews replaced streetlights, cleared vegetation and carried out routine maintenance. Then in January, we resurfaced and resealed the road, alongside drainage improvements, vegetation control, and hydro-vacuuming to locate underground services.

Combining work like this helps reduce the need to return to the same site multiple times and minimises disruption for everyone using the state highway. We know roadworks can be disruptive, and there’s always room to improve – that’s why we’re focused on making each closure count by planning ahead and coordinating crews so we can deliver essential maintenance with less disruption to your journey.

Upcoming roadworks

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

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 12:18pm on 24.04.2025.

State Highway 1 - Kawakawa to Cape Reinga

State Highway 1 – Between the SH11 roundabout and just north of Rayner Street, Kawakawa

• Wednesday 30 April to Tuesday 6 May, during the night, 8pm – 5am.
• Due to lane rebuild works, one lane closure with stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

State Highway 1 – Whangārei to Kawakawa

State Highway 1 – Akerama

• Thursday 20 March to the end of May 2025, during the day and night.
• Due to road rebuilding in this area, lane shifts and speed restrictions will be in place.

State Highway 1 – Near Puhipuhi Road, Whakapara

• Wednesday 19 March to Tuesday 6 May, during the day and night.
• Due to road rebuilding in this area, stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

State Highway 1 – Topuni to Whangārei

State Highway 1 – Oakleigh

• Monday 14 April to Tuesday 6 May, during the night, 9pm – 5am.
• Due to road rebuilding in this area, stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.
• Note: works stop over the ANZAC holiday period.

State Highway 1 – Kaiwaka

• Monday 28 April to Wednesday 30 April, during the night, 9pm – 5am.
• Due to drainage works in this area, stop/go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

State Highway 10

State Highway 10 - Near Bush Point Road, Taipa

• Sunday 6 April to Sunday 4 May, during the day (7am - 5pm), and some night work when required.
• Due to subsidence repair, road rebuild, and drainage improvement works in this area, speed restrictions will be in place and stop/go traffic management when required.

State Highway 11

No significant works scheduled for this week.

State Highway 12

State Highway 12 – Between Matakohe W Road and Old Racecourse Road, Matakohe

• Monday 14 April to Friday 2 May, during the day, 6am – 6pm.
• Due to road rebuild and subsidence repair works in this area, speed restrictions will be in place and additional traffic management when required for specific work activities.

State Highway 14

No significant works scheduled for this week.

State Highway 15

No significant works scheduled for this week.

More information

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

For more information on Northland state highway maintenance, contact us at northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz or 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444 449)

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

For information about what’s happening with other infrastructure projects across the region please visit the Northland projects page here: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/regions/1203