As people across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty head away for the first long weekend of the 2024/25 summer period, road workers will be laying down their tools to join them for a few well-deserved days of rest.
Most sites on the state highway network will be shut down from midday today (Friday), allowing people to reach their destination with as few delays as possible. The State Highway 1 (SH1) Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance programme continues as normal with road closures and detours in place.
Just like day-to-day travel, planning ahead for the weekend is equally important, says Andrew Brosnan, Waikato Journey Manager at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).“It’s important to consider how long your journey might take, and whether you are prepared should there be delays. Pack snacks and water, take regular breaks and prepare for the chance the trip may take longer than you think.
“Contractors will have set up the roads to be as clear as possible, however, with a significant number of extra vehicles on the road, journeys will take longer than usual.
“Key corridors such as SH1 north and south of Hamilton, SH25 to the Coromandel Peninsula and State Highway 2 north of Tauranga, will be busy at certain times. Leaving an hour earlier or later can make a big difference.” The holiday journeys planner is now active on the Journey Planner website:
NZTA Journey Planner(external link)
This is kept up to date in real time so you can see all disruptive activity and potential hazards on the state highway network.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works October 2024 [PDF, 260 KB]
