The New Zealand Transport Agency has announced a 24/7 closure of State Highway 1 between Ātiamuri and Wairakei beginning at 5am tomorrow (Monday, March 3rd).
The closure, expected to last approximately five weeks (weather dependent), will allow contractors to complete six separate work areas including road reconstruction and structural asphalt resealing on the southern end of this section.
"The work couldn't be done during the closure in this area last year as we couldn't fit all the required work in without causing major disruption on SH1 during Christmas," said NZTA in their statement.
The closure will extend from the SH1/SH30 intersection to the SH1/SH5 intersection (Wairakei Roundabout), with detours in place for all traffic.
Light vehicles will be detoured via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Road to Wairakei Drive, adding approximately 23 minutes and 32km to journey times. Heavy vehicles must use SH5 via Rotorua, which will add 43 minutes to journey times.
NZTA has confirmed that businesses within the work zones will remain open, with access passes having been delivered to businesses and residents. Visitors, customers and service providers can gain access by speaking with traffic controllers at the closure points.
Three contractors - Higgins, Downer and MS Civil - will be working collaboratively on various sections within the closure area to complete the work efficiently. The safety improvement project, which began in 2022, will be completed during this closure.
The work involves a comprehensive road reconstruction process. With reseal operations, the existing road surface is removed using a milling machine, followed by the addition of a structural layer before the final surface asphalt is applied to improve water proofing and ride quality.
Motorists should note that there will also be roadworks on detour routes, including on SH5 and on Poihipi Road, which Taupō District Council maintains.
NZTA explained that road maintenance work is typically scheduled between October and March when weather conditions are more favourable for the required work.
"We do work with local authorities to plan when we all do our works to minimise the disruption as much as possible but sometimes there is work both on the state highway and on a local road detour that is critical to complete this season and cannot be avoided," NZTA stated.
The agency also addressed why crews won't be working 24/7 during the closure, explaining that factors such as worker fatigue management, materials availability, and the nature of specific work activities determine work schedules. Some processes, like foam bitumen stabilisation, cannot be done at night due to lower temperatures, while others like asphalt resurfacing can be completed during night hours.
"On the Tīrau to Waiouru project we are doing large areas of road rebuilding, which can mean large sections of the road are uneven, with significant and sudden changes in depth," explained NZTA, noting that these conditions make the road unsafe for public use whether work is actively underway or not.
NZTA emphasised that while motorists may think driving through work zones would be quicker, they would experience significant delays due to the multiple worksites, and strongly recommended using the designated detour routes.
