North Auckland recovery (Dome Valley and SH16)

Section menu

Project introduction

The North Auckland recovery project involves repairing significantly damaged areas in the Dome Valley and along State Highway 16, following the severe weather events of 2023.

  • Project type

    Road improvements
  • Project status

    Consenting, Construction, Design, Investigation

About the project

The severe weather events in early 2023 resulted in multiple significant slips between Warkworth and Wellsford and along SH16.

Once the initial emergency response works were complete, we moved into the recovery phase – the process of returning normal functionality to the state highway network.

Over time, this will mean the return of full lane widths and temporary traffic management reduced.

While this work is underway, maintaining safe connections for all road users to and from Te Tai Tokerau, Northland, is a key priority.

Within the Dome Valley section of SH1 and parts of SH16, there are multiple areas where the road has been significantly damaged. Repair and rebuild of these sections of the state highway are needed to:

  • stabilise slopes above the road where ongoing slips and rockfalls create a hazard for drivers
  • stabilise slopes below the road where it is at risk of falling away
  • clear blocked and damaged culverts so rain can flow away from the road.

The programme of work to repair these sites are underway and will continue into late 2024.

Geotechnical investigation and design are taking place for slip remediation and culvert repair. Construction has begun on some sites. 

To ensure the safety of motorists and our construction team, temporary traffic management is in place. The traffic management consists of temporary speed limit reductions, temporary road layout changes, and stop/go operations.

We are actively working to minimise disruption to road users by operating day and night crews. This will ensure the work is completed as quickly and safely as possible. We thank people for their patience and understanding as we complete these vital works.