SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated maintenance project SPECIAL update

Definite dates for SH1 around Tokoroa and Putāruru closures

18 November 2024

Partial opening of SH1 south of Tokoroa

Good news! SH1 between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri will partially re-open at noon on Thursday 21 November 2024.

The southern section of this zone, from Kinleith Road to upper Ātiamuri, will be opened under traffic management. The northern section between Campbell Road and Kinleith will remain closed to finish the work required there.

We lost 4 days of work due to adverse weather since it was first closed on 6 October.

In welcome news for local motorists, the partial reopening means the length of the detours can be reduced. The new detour for light vehicles will now be SH32, Old Taupō Road, Kinleith Road and vice versa.

Heavy vehicles should continue to use SH5/SH30.

We expect the road to be fully open next week. 

We apologise for not being able to give you more certainty and definite dates sooner - rebuilding roads and road maintenance is so dependent on the weather.

New detour map followed by current detour map

More information on Tokoroa to upper Ātiamuri

When the road partially opens between Tokoroa and upper Ātiamuri on Thursday afternoon, there will be loose chip seal and a temporary speed in place, and other traffic management measures. When the road is fully open next week, the just-finished section will also be under a temporary speed limit for a few days. 

This 'trafficating' is part of the road building process. The road needs this time with traffic using it to allow it to settle and the stone chip to fully bed in. 

Please be gentle with the new road. It will only be for a few days and once the chip is adequately bedded in - the length of time will vary - the excess chip will be swept off, the lines marked and all temporary traffic management removed. 

We are hoping to be able to have the first part of this section of SH1 swept and with no temporary speed limit in place by the time the other section opens.

We then come back to apply the final asphalt surface. We have the Tokoroa to Ātiamuri section scheduled to start on Tuesday 7 January 2025, under night-time closures. We are just working out whether we can do this in sections with shorter detours, or whether it is best to close the road completely at nights.  As soon as we have further information, we will be back in contact. 

SH1 between Putāruru and Tokoroa – closure begins 5am Thursday 21 November

Work will start on Putāruru to Tokoroa section at 5am 21 November 2024. This closure will be in place until 12 noon on Friday 20 December 2024.

We could not delay starting this work, as the road has to be ready for all the Christmas action.  A New Zealand wide road works moratorium is in place from Friday 20 December, finishing on Monday 6 January 2025. 

As already advised, SH1 will be closed to through-traffic from SH1/Princes Street, Putāruru to SH1/SH32 Tokoroa intersection. All north and south bound SH1 light vehicles will be detoured via Princes Street, Arapuni Street, Arapuni Road, Waotu Road, Old Taupō Road, SH32 - Tokoroa and vice versa. This will add approximately 15 mins and 11km to journey times.

There will be a temporary speed limit of 70km/h along the entirety of the detour route.

The "hard closure" (the worksite) is from SH1/Vospers Road to SH1/Rollett Road. There will be a “soft closure” in Putāruru, between SH1/Princes Street intersection and Vospers Road/Ngatira Road, Lichfield.

There is also a soft closure at the southern end, up to Rollett Road.  While still allowing access to businesses and residents, these soft closures are in place to send those on longer journeys down appropriate detours.

Southbound traffic will not be able to travel beyond Vospers/Ngatira roads. Northbound traffic will be able to travel as far north as SH1 Rollett Road.

Heavy vehicles are asked to take SH5 and SH30 East (Rotorua section).

Trucks and through traffic travelling between 7pm and 6am may want to consider taking SH5 via Rotorua to avoid the night closure between Tīrau and Putāruru which starts on 24 November 2024. 

We will need to come back sometime next year to do additional work in the northern section between Domain and Vospers roads. We’ll let you know when the schedule for this is confirmed.

Tīrau to Putāruru night closures

From Sunday 24 November there will be night closures to lay the final asphalt surface to complete the 5.75km of road rebuild.

This asphalting will be done from Sunday 24 November until Thursday 5 December, working Sunday to Thursday nights only. The road will be closed from 7pm to 6am on those dates.  

The detour will be the same as it was in September, via SH28 and SH5.

Through traffic from the north heading to Taupō may want to consider continuing on SH5 via Rotorua to avoid the closure between Putāruru and Tokoroa mentioned above.

East Taupō Arterial closed until Friday 6 December

Further down the highway, the East Taupō Arterial (ETA) section of SH1 will be closed from 5am Monday 11 November until Friday 6 December for maintenance.

The closure is between the Wairakei roundabout (SH5) and Broadlands Road. SH5 to Napier is not affected by this work, you can still use that as normal from either approach, as well as the access south towards Taupō Airport and beyond.

SH1 Tūrangi to Waiouru closed from 6 January 2025

SH1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru (includes Desert Road) will close from Monday 6 January until late February 2025.

More information will be available as soon as the detours are finalised. It is likely that motorists would be detoured on (from north to south) – SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1.

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.

Please visit our website nzta.govt.nz/t2w