Ōtaki to north of Levin update

13 June 2025

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, local hapū of Ngāti Raukawa te au ki te Tonga and council partner Horowhenua District Council (HDC) are working together to create a positive legacy for the region while we build a new, safer, efficient, and more reliable State Highway 1 (SH1) from Ōtaki to north of Levin.

Ō2NL drop-in session at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō on Saturday 24 May

Ō2NL May community events

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who came along to the community drop-in sessions last month.

Across the 5 drop-in sessions we spoke to around 500 people who were interested to understand more about the updated design of the new Ō2NL highway and provide their feedback.

We understand the importance of this project to the community, and the feedback that we received will be reflected in the advice given to the NZTA Board this month.

We'll continue to keep you updated as this progresses.

 Find out more online

For more information on the updated design, visit our website to view the new Ō2NL highway flyover, new information boards and long plot map.

www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl

Getting ready for construction – upcoming site establishment works

Over the next few months, we’ll start establishing our work site to prepare for the start of main construction in Spring 2025. 

You can expect to see a range of activities across the highway footprint, including (but not limited to):

• fencing, building demolition and relocations 
• building and establishing site offices
• setting up material supply sites (where we’ll get the material we need to build the road) and locations for storing materials
• building haul roads and access tracks
• establishing environmental, erosion and sediment controls
• building the predator proof area
• further site investigations including continuing road testing, service location, ongoing soil testing, monitoring, surveying, and archaeological digs. 

As work starts to ramp up, we’ll be communicating regularly with landowners, tenants, grazers and near neighbours to ensure everyone knows what to expect.

We’re still working on construction sequencing for the main works and will let you know more about this closer to Spring.

SH57/Tararua Road roundabout is taking shape, with the Ō2NL site office shown at the top left of this picture

SH57/Tararua Road roundabout – tie in work underway

Construction of the new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 57 (SH57)/Tararua Road is progressing well.

Work to build the fourth leg of the roundabout on the eastern side of Tararua Road is now underway during the day. Work is also happening at night this month to tie-in the other 3 legs of the roundabout that have been under construction since January.

During the day, travellers can drive through the new roundabout along SH57/Arapaepae Road although this is currently still a gravel surface so please drive with care and adhere to the temporary reduced speed limit in place.

What to expect at night

Night time road closures are in place until Friday 27 June on SH57/Arapaepae Road between Meadowvale Road and Kimberley Road, while the team tie-in 3 legs of the roundabout. Road workers are working Sunday evenings to Friday mornings, between 7pm and 6am while this work is happening. If we get wet or cold weather this may extend the work out.

Closing the road helps the team work safely and efficiently to ensure we get the roundabout project finished as quickly as possible.

SH57 remains fully open during the day. Please see the map below to view the detour in place at night time.

Tararua Road East closure

To complete work on the fourth leg of the roundabout, access to the eastern section of Tararua Road is closed during the day between 7am and 5pm, and a detour is in place via Queen Street East and Gladstone Road. We expect this closure will be in place until later this year.

We’d like to thank everyone for their patience while construction of the new roundabout progresses. Please continue to drive carefully through the site and follow the instructions of our road workers.

Ō2NL project site office

Since January, the Ō2NL team have been working to construct the new project site office on Tararua Road that will provide office space for the team throughout construction of the new highway (see aerial image above).

The team are making good progress, and we expect to move into the new office in the coming weeks. The team will be vacating our current office on Oxford Street in Levin at the end of the month.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on when our first project office open day is in the new office. In the meantime, if you wish to speak to the team please email us at info@o2nl.nz.

More information

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/o2nl to find out about the new highway and other projects happening in this corridor.

For more information on the Ōtaki to north of Levin programme, contact us at info@o2nl.nz or call 0508 625 4636.