Drivers are being advised of long delays on State Highway 1 (SH1) in the Dome Valley between Warkworth and Wellsford this week when the NZ Transport Agency starts safety re-surfacing work.
The surface will be removed from a 700 metre-long section of the highway and replaced to make it smoother and safer.
Work to remove the old surface will start tonight (12 May) at 8pm until 1am. On Wednesday (14 May) Transport Agency contractors will lay the new chip stone surface between 10am and 4pm. The work is weather dependent.
“We are keeping the highway open but traffic will be restricted to one lane and the holdups will be considerable for drivers in both directions,” says the Transport Agency’s regional Journey Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.
“We’ve arranged to do our work in small stages to keep disruption to a minimum, but people should still allow more time for their travel – there will be delays of at least 15 minutes and probably longer through the work site.
‘The Dome Valley is a narrow and challenging environment. There’s little room to divert traffic, and there are no detours possible in the immediate location,” says Ms Hori-Hoult.
An alternative route is available for drivers on SH16 between Wellsford and north-west Auckland that can also be accessed from the Silverdale interchange on SH1 at Orewa.
Ms Hori-Hoult is asking drivers to observe the 30kph speed restriction in place at the work site for their own safety and for the safety on contractors.
Before the start of their travel, people can obtain highway information at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/current-conditions(external link) or www.highwayinfo.govt.nz(external link) (Freephone 0800 4HIGHWAYS), or they can plan a specific route at www.onthemove.govt.nz(external link) The dedcicated Freephone for Northland/Auckland . Northland/Auckland North’s dedicated Freephone is 0800 111655. ENDS
For more information please contact:
Ewart Barnsley
Auckland/Northland Media Manager
NZ Transport Agency
T: 09 928 8720
M: 027 213 7616
E: ewart.barnsley@nzta.govt.nz
