Ngāruawāhia night-time works ahead

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is advising drivers to plan ahead for night-time detours on State Highway 1, as work continues to bring the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway up to 110km/h standard.

Upcoming work requires a block of closures – Sunday to Thursday each week, running from 14 January to early February.

There will be detours in place, 7pm-5am, on the following dates:

Northbound: January 14 to 18

Southbound: January 21 to 25

Southbound: January 30 to Feb 1

Northbound: February 4, and 6 to 8

The detours are different for each direction due to roadworks in Ngāruawāhia town which can’t accommodate southbound highway traffic.

The northbound detour takes SH1 traffic via Ngāruawāhia on the old highway between Horotiu and Gordonton Road interchanges. HPMVs must use SH1B and overweight vehicles need to use SH2/27, under an existing overweight permit.

Southbound detour traffic will use SH1B, re-joining SH1 via Lake Road, but heavy vehicles (50 tonnes and above) must continue on SH1B, including the local road detour around Telephone Road, and connect to SH1 again at Cambridge or via SH26 into Hamilton.

The detours needed to allow safety barriers to be moved, lanes surfaced and traffic switches – all part of the current remedial and safety improvements.

On-going work includes:

• reshaping and strengthening the median area
• drainage improvements
• resurfacing, depending on the existing pavement condition.

A final, continuous asphalt surface will complete the repair works, replacing the temporary chipseal and asphalt surfaces which have been in place during earlier temporary repairs and while moisture monitoring was conducted.

The safety improvements needed to bring the road up to 110km/h standard include making side barriers continuous, upgrading some barriers, additional maintenance and turnaround bays for emergency services, shoulder widening and relocating some lighting.

The Ngāruawāhia section opened in late 2013. It was built by Fletcher Construction under a design and construct contract. The current works are led by Fletcher Construction with the repair portion completed under a cost-sharing arrangement with the Transport Agency.

The works are expected to finish in mid-2025 although the Transport Agency and its contractors are continuing to look at programming and resources to have the work finish earlier.

View/download larger map [PNG, 199 KB]

Waikato Expressway - Ngāruawāhia section update - October 2023 [PDF, 996 KB]