Road renewal activity got underway on State Highway 1 near Baldwin Road in Lichfield this morning, with work expected to take three weeks to complete.
Between the hours of 6am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, the area will be under stop/go traffic management. There is a temporary speed limit of 30km/h for vehicles driving past the worksite.
Delays are expected, and road users should consider alternative routes between Putāruru and Tokoroa, says Cara Lauder, Waikato System Manager at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
“From past experience we are aware that traffic can build up quickly in this area, and we highly recommend you check the Journey Planner before leaving for your destination.”
It promises to be a busy period for SH1 throughout the Waikato.
The Desert Road is currently down to one lane near Tree Trunk Gorge due to an underslip caused by a recent rain event. Remedial work commenced last week, and at a later point in the programme the road will be closed for short periods of time, to allow a crane to park near the site. More detail will follow in due course.
Elsewhere, other road renewals in Karāpiro (at Gorton Road) and near Puriri Road, north of Tokoroa, are also scheduled for completion prior to Christmas.
There will be night works for asphalt resurfacing in Putāruru over two weeks from 26 October, from the Oraka Stream Bridge at the northern entrance to the intersection with Central Street and Harry Martin Drive. Due to the narrow width of this section of road it will be closed, with detours for light vehicles via Domain Road and Harris Road. Heavy vehicles will need to use SH5 and SH30 via Rotorua.
“While roadworks can be frustrating when you are stopped or detoured, the outcome is a new road surface, or sometimes an entirely new road structure, which means a smoother ride for future journeys.
“We have worked with our contractors to look at how we can minimise delays by ensuring road users experience as few worksites as possible when travelling. However, we also have a significant programme of work to complete this summer, and at times we will have several crews in close proximity.”
Across the Waikato approximately 430 lane kilometres of road will be resealed or replaced between October 2022 and mid-2023.
