Work is continuing towards finishing an upgrade to State Highway 1 between Kensington Avenue and Manse Street, Whangarei with the final road surface due to be laid on another section next week.
From Friday 17 February the NZ Transport Agency will start laying asphalt from Kohatu Road including the roundabout at Kensington Avenue.
The work which is expected to take ten days, will be done at night, starting at 6pm and finishing by 7am each morning.
During the night works state highway traffic will be limited to a single lane, with the Kensington Avenue intersection closed to all traffic.
By 7am each morning the state highway will be returned to its normal layout and the intersection with Kensington Avenue will be reopened.
The Transport Agency apologises for any inconvenience caused during this final stage in the project and thanks residents and road users for their patience.
“When it’s finished this upgrade will improve safety for road users and reduce traffic queuing at the intersection at peak times as well as for road users and pedestrians accessing Kensington Park,” says the Transport Agency’s Northland Highway Manager, Brett Gliddon.
“We’re looking forward to completing another one of the key improvement projects to give the Whangarei community and those driving through the city safer and easier access.”
Improvements to the SH1/Kensington Avenue intersection include a new roundabout and the installation of central median barriers on the state highway between Kensington Avenue and Manse Street.
The new roundabout will have a dedicated northbound lane to allow vehicles travelling north to continue without stopping. This will reduce traffic queues as well as minimising potential road noise from heavy vehicles stopping on the hill at the approach to the intersection.
The final stage will involve finishing the section of central median barrier between Kohatu Road and Manse Street to help reduce the existing high crash rate when vehicles cross the centre line.
