SH1 Dome Valley

24 August 2022

Progressing through winter challenges

Work on the Dome Valley safety improvements project is progressing despite the wet weather which makes it hard for us to work as quickly as we would like. We appreciate that there are often delays through the area and lots of road cones.

The Dome Valley is a critical stretch of State Highway 1 connecting Warkworth to Wellsford. It’s an important route for freight, commuters, residents and travellers – and one piece of the key corridor between Auckland and Northland. More about that below.

But it also has a poor safety record, with seven deaths and more than 30 injured in crashes in the last five years. Making the road safer is one way we can save lives.

We know it can be slow going during the day and while night works are underway. We also know the work can seem like it is taking a long time. However, it’s a shorter-term trade-off for longer term gains. We’re grateful for your patience and understanding as we focus on making the highway safer and more resilient for all road users who rely on this key corridor both regionally and locally.

Latest news

The safety improvement works are split into five sections, as shown on the map above. Click here to view a larger map.

Stages 2 and 4 are complete. Stage 3, which runs from Waiwhiu Road in the south to Forestry Road in the north, is on track to be completed in early spring. The traffic switch has been done, so the final road alignment is in place with the first coat of line marking. Road signs will be installed over the coming weeks.

Then we’ll be working to complete Stage 5, which runs from L Phillips Road in the south to Waiwhiu Road in the north. We’re also adding extra safety features in the Dome Summit area for walkers who are crossing from one side of the Te Araroa trail to the other, and we’ll be reaching out to property owners in the immediate area with information about this work soon.

The team will come back later in the year when it’s warmer and dryer – ‘surfacing season’ - to overlay new chipseal and install long-life line marking through both Stages 3 and 5. This will be done over a few nights to minimise disruption.

Major works or activities that impact travel times are mostly being completed at night. During the day our workers are not always visible to the public because they may be in terrain that isn’t visible from the road or behind steel barriers. You may not see us, but rest assured we are there and working to finish the project as quickly as possible.

Once these stages are finished, that will just leave Stage 1 – the 3km section from Wayby Valley Road to Wellsford – to be completed. Following some geotechnical and property access challenges, we’re redesigning this section to use the existing road and maximise the safety benefits, and we’re aiming to be back in the community with an update on this stage in the coming weeks.

Night works to align part of the median barrier in Stage 3

Part of a bigger picture

Waka Kotahi is working hard to improve the safety and resilience of State Highway 1 and the Dome Valley safety improvements project is just one part of this. For those who travel on SH1 between Auckland and Northland, it’s hard to miss the temporary speed limits, the stoppages and course the road cones, but this is all part of something bigger.

Each crew is part of a wider project team, and each worker is just one of the many in the road crews currently working on the four major SH1 projects between Auckland and Northland - Pūhoi to Warkworth, Dome Valley safety improvements, Loop Road safety improvements, and the soon to start Whangārei to Wellsford safety improvements project.

The four projects are big in every way - big investments, big in scale, and big in the improvements they are making. They are big in their impact for anyone who uses the road, both now while under construction and more importantly in the future, when they will continue to serve our children and mokopuna.

These projects are part of Aotearoa's road safety strategy Road to Zero, which is aimed at reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. Road to Zero has set an initial target to reduce deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s roads, streets, cycleways and footpaths by 40 percent by 2030.

Read more about what we’re up to along the Auckland-Northland corridor, including the latest updates on each of the projects.

Meet the Team - Taylor Selby, Site Engineer

Taylor joined the Dome Valley team in 2019 and has been working on the six Enhanced Treatments Areas (ETAs) within the project area. ETAs treat stormwater runoff into the road by using grasses and vegetation to act as filters.

Taylor’s now managing the final construction phase of Stage 5 including planning and programming, scheduling nightwork operations, managing internal and external resources and engaging with local subcontract partners and stakeholders.

"One the biggest challenges for this project is the changing weather conditions in the Dome Valley especially when doing ground work activities - there is a keen focus on weather reports and patterns for the team," Taylor says.

When not working in the Dome Valley, you might find Taylor horse riding in Dairy Flat, up in the air training for her helicopter licence, searching for the latest in fashion, or surfing at some of her favourite local spots including Te Arai Beach.

She’s excited by the benefits the project will bring to everyone travelling the route in future.

“As someone who’s grown up in the wider area, I’m really proud of what we’re achieving and being part of a team doing work that ultimately will help save lives. That actually means a lot, not just to me, but to all of us working here every day.”

Keeping safe

Please help us keep you and our teams safe. Watch for the temporary speed restrictions and drive to the conditions. We want everyone to get where they’re going safely and our teams to return home safe at the end of the day.

For more information on the SH1 Dome Valley project, or to add others to our database to receive these updates, contact us at northlandproject@nzta.govt.nz

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