Temporary detour signage for the State Highway 1B Telephone Road rail crossing closure east of Hamilton will soon be replaced with fixed signs to lower costs while the long-term future of the crossing is decided.
Since the SH1B crossing was closed due to safety concerns in April 2022, temporary signage has been in place to direct traffic around the detour of Holland Road, Waverley Road and Seddon Road.
“Most road users have now become familiar with the route around the closed railway crossing and temporary detour signs come with an ongoing monthly cost as contractors are required to drive the route every couple of days to check and replace any damaged signs,” says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Acting Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Roger Brady.
“Installing fixed signs will allow the NZ Transport Agency to save money to optimise our spend on maintenance around the state highway network.”
The fixed signs which will be installed are the standard green wayfinding signs used on New Zealand’s state highway network.
“Replacing the temporary signs with fixed ones is simply a prudent financial decision and not related to the ongoing process of determining the long term future of the rail crossing,” Mr Brady says.
Since the crossing closed, Waka Kotahi has been working with representatives from the local community and Waikato District Council on long term options for the crossing. This included commissioning a detailed report into the options and seeking community feedback.
For more information see:
SH1B Telephone Road rail crossing
No funding is available for the necessary work to allow the crossing to reopen within the current funding cycle (the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme), however this project has been put forward for consideration in the 2024-27 NLTP process.
