SH1 East Taupō Arterial

The safety upgrade of the SH1- East Taupō Arterial – which bypasses Taupō –  was announced in August 2017 and is being completed in three stages.

In the 10 years between 2014-2023, six people were killed and four people were seriously injured on this stretch of state highway This upgrade will mean the road is more forgiving and crashes are less likely to result in deaths and serious injuries.

Each crash has huge impacts on the people involved, their families, emergency services and the health sector. As well as saving lives and preventing crash trauma, safety upgrades like these will result in fewer crashes which would mean the highway is more efficient and can support productivity and economic growth in the region.

The first stage between SH5-Napier Road and Centennial Drive began in March 2020, completed in 2022.

Stage 2, from Centennial Drive to SH5-Wairakei, requires some remedial works before the barriers can be fitted and this may happen in 2024 subject to funding.

Stage 3, a 5km section from SH5-Napier Road south to the airport roundabout, started in January 2024 and was completed in August 2024. The latest improvement, which cost $6.6 million, required road widening to make room for the central barriers. Some side barriers and earth bunds were added to separate highway traffic from the shared path which runs alongside the highway.

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