SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance project update

Getting it done to make a smoother road for you

14 February 2025

In this week's issue:

• Desert Road trucking along
• New temporary speed limit for SH4/SH47 intersection
• Next closure of SH1 Putāruru to Tokoroa from 3 March
• Next closure of SH1 Ātiamuri to Wairakei from 3 March
• 2 closures between Tīrau and Taupō
• Alternative options to SH1
• Keep it chilled on the detour routes

Desert Road trucking along

There were a few downpours of rain during the week, but while it tested the erosion control recently put in as part of this project, it hasn't caused any delays so far. Work is trucking along at great pace.

The weather forecast is looking unfavourable for road works mid-next week (but great for farmers!). This may affect the foam bitumen stabilising work we have planned for the longest section of this work - covering over 4km. There is a big push to get as much done as possible in the next few days, including the weekend.

The longest section - the one of 4km - will take 6 weeks in total to complete all the work required under this closure. If we had of done this without full road closure, it would have easily taken 2 summers to complete and an estimated 15 weeks of work.  It would have had to be done in 5 chunks of stop/go, meaning there could have been many significant delays over a long time. 

We are doing the final sealing for the northern section of work today and over the weekend. If everything goes to plan, we may be able to have an early opening the northern section, between Tūrangi and Rangipō. This would allow people to use SH1 to the SH1/SH46 intersection and connect to SH47. The road would be opened under a temporary speed limit to allow for traffication. Please note that SH46 isn't HPMV approved - a permit is required. No promises yet, as there are some things we need to work through, and we are depending on favourable weather. We’ll provide an update on this next week.

Further south, the Mangatoetoenui Bridge is taking shape and is on track to be usable for first responders on or about 22 February 2024. The concrete bridge deck is completed. and pavement reinstatement on each side of the bridge is underway. 

Photos below show work in progress, including the milling machine in action.

New temporary speed limit for SH4/SH47 intersection

We've been aware of the community’s calls for a temporary speed reduction at the intersection of SH4 and SH47 at National Park, for the remainder of the SH1 Desert Road works.

From today (Friday 14 February) the current speed of 80km/h will be reduced to 50km/h while this road is being used as a detour for SH1. We have also added warning signage, such as “Queues ahead” and “Major intersection ahead”. As soon as the signs are up, this temporary speed will be enforceable. 

We are aware there have been some concerns about risks in places like Horopito due to the increased volume of traffic.

The higher traffic volumes currently being experienced on this section of SH4 while SH1 is closed means everyone needs to have a greater awareness of risk. The current traffic numbers are typical of those seen on many rural state highways in New Zealand.

SH4 in Horopito has a number of wide shoulders and good visibility at intersections for those joining and exiting the highway. The safest approach is always for drivers is to use wide shoulders or pull over bays to wait for a break in the traffic before turning across traffic on a state highway. If there is not a wide shoulder immediately adjacent to a side road, the advice is to continue past the road to a safe shoulder to wait and then turn around when it’s safe to do so. It is not safe to sit in the middle of the highway before turning.

Speeds cannot be temporary lowered unless the level of risk meets the threshold for a reduced speed. A detour route must be fit for purpose and enable traffic to continue on their journeys safely and efficiently – without undue delays.

NZTA Safety Engineers continue to monitor the detour route while SH1 Desert Road is closed and implement traffic mitigations where required and possible. The temporary speed reduction at the intersection of SH4 and SH47 at National Park from today, Friday 14 February follows consultation with NZ Police and the higher level of risk there.

We would like to thank the community for their feedback and NZ  Police for their support for this decision.

Next closure of SH1 Putāruru to Litchfield from 3 March

From 5am Monday 3 March, SH1 will be closed from SH1/Princes Street, Putāruru to Vosper Road/SH1 Lichfield intersection. Work will take approximately 4 weeks to complete (weather permitting). 

All north and southbound vehicles will be detoured 24/7.  The detour for light vehicles (ie all vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence) is:

• Northbound via Vospers Road, Kells Lane, Lichfield Road, Golf Street, Arapuni Street, Princes Street
• Southbound via Princes Street, Arapuni Street, Grey Street, Lichfield Road, Vospers Road 

We are encouraging all heavies (including all over-demension, HPMV and 50 tonne maximum) to use SH5 via Rotorua .

The crew will be back in early April for about 2 weeks of nightworks under stop/go for the final surfacing. We’ll confirm more details nearer the time.

Managing access for residents and businesses - Putāruru to Lichfield

We will use an access pass system for businesses and residents within the work zone and we’ll deliver 3 vehicle passes per property just prior to the closure (with details recorded against the registration of the vehicles).

Visitors, customers and service providers can access properties within the closure. We recommend using the detour route to avoid delays through the work site. Traffic entering this area will experience delays, so please add this to your journey time.

The 'hard closure' point is south of the Transfer Station. Entry from Putāruru remains unchanged, but travelers from the south must take the detour.

Those visiting VTNZ and the Timber Museum/Redwood Café should speak to the traffic controller for access.

Next closure of SH1 between Ātiamuri to Wairakei from 3 March

From 5am Monday 3 March, SH1 will be closed from the SH1/SH30 intersection, to the SH1/SH5 intersection (Wairakei Roundabout).  Work will take approximately 5 weeks to complete (weather permitting).

All north and southbound vehicles will be detoured 24/7. The detour for light vehicles (ie all vehicles you can drive on a regular car/Class 1 licence) is via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Road to Wairakei Drive and vice versa.

Heavy vehicles detour - northbound and southbound via SH5 and SH30.

Managing access for residents and businesses - Ātiamuri to Wairakei

We will use an access pass system for businesses and residents within the work zone and we’ll deliver 3 vehicle passes per property just prior to the closure.

All visitors, customers and service providers will be allowed access past our hard closure points when they are visiting a property/business within the closure. We strongly advise using the detour route as there will be 6 separate sites of road maintenance within the closure, and each worksite will have its own traffic management operation when construction is underway and significant delays will occur.

Visitors and services wanting to go to the Orakei Korako Cave and Thermal Park continue to have access, as do those doggies and their owners wanting to get to the Taupō Pet Lodge. Just talk to the crews at the closure points.

Why a second closure?

NZTA started work on SH1 between Ātiamuri and Wairakei as part of a safety improvement project being delivered by the contractor Higgins. This project started in mid-2022 and included road widening and the installation of flexible median safety barriers and roadside barriers north of Maroa Road to Tram Road (a 4.5km section).

The second stage of this safety project included road widening and barrier installation for a 6.9km long section nearby from the Waikato River Bridge south to Thorpe Road.

This safety work was already ongoing when the T2W project was started by our contractor Downer.

Initially it was planned to have the full closure of the section between Ātiamuri and Wairakei for the T2W maintenance work in November 2024, but this was shifted to March 2025 for scheduling reasons – we needed to accommodate the busy holiday period and the large Taupō Ironman 70.3 World Championship event.  The change in schedule resulted in us doing the maintenance work required on the East Taupō Arterial which was able to be completed without disruption to the Ironman.

Other alternatives to SH1

Road users travelling to Waiouru or further south from Hamilton and north (and vice versa) do have other options which may be useful with the various closures coming up on SH1.

One of these is to use State Highways 3, 4 and 49. This route has been made suitable for all heavy vehicles for the duration of this T2W project. This route adds very little time to journeys and having reliable, predictable journey times is important to everyone, especially freight.

Check Journey Planner

We suggest you check Journey planner before setting off to work out the best travel options.  It is nearing the end of road works season and a lot of maintenance teams (both on local roads and state highways) are pushing to get the road maintenance needed done before winter.

Keep it chilled on the detour routes

We know that having to travel on a detour can be frustrating but that’s no excuse for letting driving standards slip.

With increased traffic, unfamiliar roads and less areas to pass, it’s inevitable that journeys will take longer. Plan ahead, drive to the conditions and respect others on the road. 

This weekend is expected to see a significant number of people travelling across or to the Central Plateau for a number of events. NZ Police will be patrolling the area, and speed cameras will be in operation. 

One event you may want to check out is tomorrow's Waimarino show - looks like a great event. 

More information

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

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.

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/t2w

Check out Journey Planner before you leave for your travels - it will show you the best routes!