NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is aiming to return traffic to all four lanes on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway by the end of the year.
Remedial work and safety improvements on the State Highway 1 site are on track for completion by mid-December. The installation of new lighting in early 2025 will then allow traffic to travel at the same 110km/h speed limit as neighbouring sections.
“We have been working with our contractor Fletcher Construction to find a way to get this job moving faster and we are very pleased with this outcome, as road users will be,” says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery, Jo Wilton.
The programme to complete the safety works requires 3 months of ‘contraflow’’ where all traffic will be sharing southbound lanes then northbound. This creates more working room to hasten progress as contractors can complete shoulder widening, pavement strengthening and barrier installation much more efficiently.
For approximately two months, all traffic will be sharing the southbound lanes. During this time, remedial work where SH1C and SH1 merge means all northbound SH1C traffic from Te Rapa/Horotiu is turning at the Northern Interchange and go south on SH1 to turn around at Resolution Interchange and proceed north on SH1. This manoeuvre will be well sign-posted and will add about 8 minutes to journeys.
Works on the SH1C portion of the Ngāruawāhia section – on each side of the river bridge – will be done next year.
The 12.3km Ngāruawāhia section, which runs from the Horotiu to Gordonton Road interchanges, 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 being completed under a cost-sharing arrangement with NZTA.
Ngāruawāhia section detour:
