The NZ Transport Agency says drivers will need to take extra care as work starts next week (2 May) on the next stage of the stage 2 State Highway 1 Kamo Bypass in Whangarei - construction of the bypass intersection with SH1 Western Hills Drive.
Construction of the intersection is expected to take four weeks, and due to the scale of the project it is inevitable that there will be disruption to traffic, says the NZTA's Northern Corridor Manager, Brett Gliddon.
"We advise people to allow extra time for their journeys because there will be delays, particularly at peak times," Mr Gliddon says "We also ask drivers to be patience and to take care not only for their own safety, but also for the safety of workers on the construction site."
Traffic management plans and diversions will be in place to help drivers. Traffic will be diverted on to either Percy Street or Kamo Road depending on the work being undertaken. There will be no roadside parking on Percy Street during May, and temporary traffic signals are being erected on Percy Street to manage the flow of state highway traffic using this route.
"Drivers can help keep traffic flowing by following the marked diversion routes or altering their travel plans to avoid the area during peak times if possible," Mr Gliddon adds.
Whangarei District Council's construction of an extension of Spedding Road, which will intersect with the bypass, is nearing completion. This intersection will be controlled by traffic signals.
Mr Gliddon says that construction of the bypass remains ahead of schedule, and is due to be completed at the end of the year.
Stage two of the Kamo Bypass will provide a high quality connection on SH1 between Western Hills Drive and the existing bypass north of Kamo Road. The bypass will provide an alternative to busy Kamo Road, move traffic away from the city centre and provide much better management of traffic in the northern suburbs of Whangarei.
