Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises work to make State Highway 1 East Taupō Arterial (ETA) safer will ramp up this month.
The northern half of the ETA, between the Wairakei roundabout and the Napier-Taupō Road roundabout is being upgraded with wider shoulders and median barriers. This 12km part of SH1 saw three deaths and eight serious injuries from 2011 to September 2019.
SH1 is expected to remain open to two lanes while the project is underway. There will be two work zones, each with 50kph speed restriction in place. These zones will be at the SH1/Centennial Drive interchange and the SH1/Broadlands Rd interchange, and both will initially work their way south.
The first part of the project involves rebuilding the road surface to allow for a wider shoulder to be added, before returning to reseal the road and adding in median barriers and, in some locations, side barriers.
Motorists should expect to see heavy trucks, machinery, lanes shifts and cones along this part of the ETA. It may also be necessary to operate Stop/Go traffic management for short periods and emergencies.
These measures are in place to ensure the safety of everyone on the road as well as the workers on site.
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.
The project is expected to be complete around the middle of 2021.
Information about this project and other work happening in the Taupō area
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