After the successful completion of improvements at the intersection of State Highway 1 (Western Hills Drive) and Central Avenue, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is advising drivers of upcoming changes to another key intersection in Whangarei as part of the city’s SH1 upgrade.
The intersection of SH1/ SH14 and Maunu Road will be significantly changed with a number of turns being closed from 10pm, Sunday 14 July, until April next year. The work also means several trees, including an oak growing in the middle of the intersection, will have to be removed.
“We have tried to find ways to improve the intersection without the need to remove any trees, but we are constrained by the land that is available to us so that we can re-build this busy intersection,” says the NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland, Tommy Parker. “Some enabling work has already taken place at the intersection and now the team are ready to progress to the next stage which means restricting some traffic movements in order to keep the flow of traffic.”
The changes from 4 July until April 2014 are:
The non- signalised left turn from SH1, southbound into Maunu Road will be temporarily closed. Drivers heading southbound on State Highway 1 that want to turn left into Maunu Road should consider taking the State Highway 1 and Central Avenue intersection.
Mr Parker says the trees are due to be removed at sometime in mid-July. The time will depend on the weather. The intersection will need to be closed so that the trees can be removed safely, and the work will be carried out at night to minimise any disruption to road users.
The NZTA’s project also includes safer facilities for walkers and cyclists, and widening the highway with an extra lane in each direction. These improvements will support economic growth in and around Whangarei by making it easier for people to travel.
