Work to make State Highway 1 (SH1) Waikato Expressway safer at Tamahere will get underway next week, with two overnight closures planned so temporary steel barriers can be installed.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery Jo Wilton says before the team can start work on the safety improvements, temporary steel barriers need to be installed along the 1.5km section of SH1.
“The temporary steel barriers provide a safe work area, protecting construction workers from live traffic while they upgrade the state highway. We need to ensure they feel safe and get to go home to their families”.
To enable the temporary steel barriers to be installed, SH1 will be closed overnight between Hillcrest intersection and the Cambridge interchange for two nights in a row. The closure will only affect one direction of traffic at a time, southbound lane first, followed by the northbound. While SH1 is closed at Tamahere, all traffic will be detoured.
Southbound lane closure and detour – Wednesday 29 June
On Wednesday 29 June, between 7pm and 7am, southbound traffic will be detoured from the Hillcrest intersection via SH26 and SH1B to the Cambridge interchange, and from Tamahere interchange via Tauwhare Road to SH1B.
Northbound lane closure and detour – Thursday 30 June
On Thursday 30 June, between 7pm and 7am, northbound traffic will be detoured from the Cambridge interchange via SH1B and SH26 to the Hillcrest intersection and from Tamahere interchange via Tauwhare Road to SH1B.
Southbound or Northbound Lane closure and detour – Friday 01 July
A contingency northbound or southbound lane closure and detour contingency on Friday 01 July, between 7pm and 7am, maybe required to complete any temporary barrier installation. The public will be notified of the closure on Friday 01 July.
Detour route for heavies:
People are asked to take extra care when travelling along the detour route by following any temporary speed limits, signs and instructions from the traffic management team.
After the temporary steel barriers have been installed along the 1.5km section of SH1, the speed limit at Tamahere (in both directions) will be 70km/h, while the team upgrade the road.
To make it safer we’re installing roadside barriers to prevent people from running off the road and hitting trees, poles or deep ditches. Several roadside lights will also be repositioned to provide room for the new barriers to be installed. The safety improvement work is expected to be completed by October 2022.
Some of the above works are weather dependent and may be postponed in the case of poor weather.
For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, drivers are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website.
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website(external link)
Waka Kotahi thanks you for your patience while we complete this essential work to make our state highways safer and more resilient.
