State Highway 1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance project

September SH1 closures; Tīrau to Putāruru then Ātiamuri to Wairakei

29 August 2024

Major works on SH1 in central and southern Waikato

Welcome to our first e-newsletter on what is one of the largest and most ambitious maintenance and rebuild projects to be undertaken in New Zealand. We're getting started on 9 September 2024.

The 220km section of SH1 between Piarere (SH1/29 intersection) and Waiouru (SH1/49 intersection) had 5,670 potholes repaired between July 2022 and April 2024. Many sections of this route are needing urgent attention, and rather than just fix potholes and do short pieces of road rebuilds, we are taking a different approach. 

In designing the process for this work, the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has done additional analysis to understand the efficiency gains from rebuilding longer and more strategic lengths. Efficiency gains are expected from fewer short-term site establishments, and increased productivity.

All upcoming renewals that were proposed as rebuilds, asphalt and structural asphalt works in the 2024-27 period were prioritised to become part of this project. Planned rebuild and structural asphalt sites for 2027-30 have also been brought forward and prioritised, avoiding the additional maintenance costs which would otherwise have been required to ‘hold’ the sites until they could be delivered in their original schedule.

This project will not only prevent further deterioration in roading quality but will also bring the worst parts of the road up to a higher standard through more intense rebuilding. The treatments planned are designed to meet expected traffic growth and ensure resilience.

There will be block road closures to expedite delivery and reduce customer exposure to long periods of disruptive temporary traffic management at numerous sites. Closing roads in sections also means we can attend to other maintenance work such as upgrading drainage, clearing vegetation, and improving signage and road markings.

This approach means the programme for 111 lane kms of work can be condensed from over 4 years to 16 months and result in significant cost savings. Lane kilometres count the number of lanes on a road rather than just the distance between point A and B. We measure in this way to give you a more accurate picture of the work being delivered, as it incorporates things such as passing lanes.

Other benefits include improved safety for work crews, reduced traffic management costs and reduced carbon footprint by utilising mobile asphalt plants and getting the work done in less than half the time.

We are working with the freight industry and local councils on the planning of the project. We are also working with iwi, tourism organisations, local freight companies, residents and business owners to understand the impacts potential closures and detours will have.

Road users travelling from Hamilton and north to Waiouru (and vice versa) do have the option of using State Highways 3, 4 and 49 where possible although this route is not suitable for all heavy vehicles. This route adds very little time to journeys and we know having reliable, predictable journey times is important to everyone, especially freight.

We recognise and acknowledge there will be inconvenience and disruption to people who live and work on SH1 and the detour routes while this work is carried out. We cannot guarantee that there will not be an impact on those who rely on SH1 for their main access. This work is very necessary, and we believe this approach will, over time, result in less inconvenience.

Overall, this approach will have a lower level of disruption for our customers, removing the intermittent maintenance approach currently experienced, and length of time required to rebuild sections of state highway using more invasive pavement treatment options.

We acknowledge that people will need to be patient and understanding over the next 16 months, but we believe the longer-term result will be worth it – Waikato’s main highway will be a source of pride for us all.

SH1 between Tīrau and Putāruru

First of SH1 closures between Tīrau and Putāruru

The highway from the SH1/SH5 roundabout south of Tīrau to the intersection of SH1/28 near Putāruru is the first zone of work to be tackled as part of this major work.

This part of SH1 will be closed from 7am Monday 9 September 2024 to Friday 4 October 2024 (4 weeks). There's a simple detour for use  -  SH5 and SH28. This will add an extra 4.6km and approximately 5 minutes to journey times.

All closures and timeframes are subject to weather conditions. 

Downer are the contractors for this piece of work and will have multiple crews of roadworkers working in shifts to get the job done as quickly as possible. Roadworkers will work during daylight from dawn to dusk, and during the night will do planning and logistical work (such as refuelling and getting the site ready) so the teams can start again at dawn the next day.

Residents and businesses in areas where the road is closed will be able to access their properties. We are working with residents to identify what suppliers and regular traffic movements are needed to be accommodated, such as milk tankers, couriers and school buses. If you are a resident in this area and still have any concerns, please email us as soon as possible so we can work something out. 

Emergency services will always have full access to the sites and residences within the closure.

Neither Tīrau or Putāruru townships will be affected with this work.  When we do any work in townships, it will be done at nights to lessen disruption. 

SH1 Ātiamuri to Wairakei

SH1 between Ātiamuri bridge and Wairakei roundabout will be closed from Monday 16 September until Friday 4 October, between the hours of 8am - 6pm, Monday to Saturday. The road will be open overnight 6pm - 8am and on Sundays. 

The detours for light vehicles (ie all vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence) is via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Road down to Wairakei Drive. This will add approximately 40kms and 27 minutes extra to journeys. 

For all heavy vehicles, the detour will be via SH30 and SH5 which is an additional 62kms and approximately 42 minutes. 

Residents and businesses in areas where the road is closed will be able to access their properties.

Essential vehicles, such as rubbish trucks, school buses, NZ Post and other delivery vehicles will have monitored access to Ātiamuri village and other sites, maintained by the traffic management crew. 

Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park guests and services will have full access to the attraction from SH1 heading south from Auckland and north from Taupō.

Other delivery and supply vehicles may chose to make changes to their pick up / delivery times.  For instance milk tankers may switch to night time pickups since the road is open at night. We will be in contact with residents as soon as possible to establish what other regular traffic movements need to be accommodated. If you are a resident in this area, we will be dropping more information off shortly, or may have done this already. If you have any concerns, please contact us by email.

Emergency services will always have full access to the site, residences and businesses within the closure.

VMS boards will be placed along each approach on SH1 to advise traffic of appropriate detours. These will be installed a week before the closure to provide advanced warning.

This work is being delivered by Higgins. It includes 8.6kms of maintenance and roading rebuild work including foam stabilisation, cement stabilisation, and chip sealing.

There is a large amount of work needed on this section of SH1 and not all of it is able to be done within this 3-week closure. We expect there will be a further closure in this area in late November and some of December. We will keep you up to date with definite dates and times of when this will happen as soon as this information is available.

Desert Road aka SH1

Possible dates of future work

We are finalising plans for further sections of SH1 to be fully closed right down to Waiouru. For the townships, we intend to use nightworks only to lessen disruption.

A draft programme for SH1, which is subject to change, especially due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances is:

SH5 Tīrau to SH28 Putāruru: 9 September – 4 October 2024

SH29 Piarere to North Tīrau: 29 September for 3 weeks (night works and closure only)

SH32 Tokoroa to SH30 Ātiamuri: Early October – early November 2024

SH28 Putāruru to SH32 Tokoroa: Late November – 23 December 2024

SH30 Ātiamuri to SH5 Wairakei part 2: November – December 2024. We are aware of the Ironman World Championship competition in Taupō on 14-15 December and will be factoring this into our planning.

SH41 Tūrangi to SH49 Waiouru: January - February 2025

SH1/SH5 Roundabout Taupō to Tūrangi: March - April 2025

Tīrau township to SH1/SH5 roundabout: Spring 2025

Taupō urban: Spring 2025

The specifics of each closure, including durations and detour routes, are still being worked on and further information will be communicated as soon as it is available. We know the more notice and certainty we can give people, the better.

There will be additional work required in these sections a few months after the initial closures to put the final asphalt surface coat on where the road has been rebuilt. It is essential to give the rehabilitated pavement time to cure under normal traffic conditions before the final surfacing asphalt is applied. If this is not done, the pavement layer may continue to be compacted after the final coat is laid, resulting in an uneven road surface (rutting). The work required to apply the final coat will only take a short time.

We will need to work in the colder areas during the best weather conditions (over the summer months) so this is the main reason for closing the Desert Road in January.

More information

Please pass this on to others who may be using SH1 in the next few months and encourage them to sign up to this newsletter by using the subscribe button below. 

For more information or any concerns on the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance, please email us at SH1Waikato@nzta.govt.nz

Please visit our website nzta.govt.nz/t2w