All detour routes are progressing well and are on schedule for the closure on Monday 26 February.

Steve Mutton, Director Regional Relationships NZTA says that crews have been preparing SH12 and SH14 for heavy vehicles while working closely with the Northland Transportation Alliance on local detour routes for light vehicles including Cove Road and Paparoa Oakleigh Road.

High productivity motor vehicles (HPMV) must use SH12/14, which is also the suggested detour route for heavy vehicles.

Local detour routes via Cove Road or Paparoa Oakleigh Road are recommended for light vehicles.

“We recognise these detours will take longer, especially for freight, which is why we will be working as quickly as possible to carry out this important work.

“We encourage people to use it as an opportunity to explore Northland and have an adventure while travelling along the scenic routes.

“The suggested detour via SH12 and SH14 offers some great places to stop along the way and the Cove Road route provides a great opportunity to take a break and enjoy beaches on their travels” says Mr Mutton.

People are also urged to drive to the conditions over the summer and keep a lookout for our roadworkers still hard at work over the break.

How will the detour routes affect my journey time*? 

*Detour route times and distance Auckland to Whangārei (average car journey) actual times may vary. 

SH1 Brynderwyn Hills will be closed from 12:01am Monday 26 February until 11:59pm Wednesday 27 March, opening for six days over the Easter period from 12:01am 28 March to 11:59pm 2 April.

The road will then close again at 12:01am on Wednesday 3 April until 11:59pm Sunday 12 May to complete the remaining work that requires a full closure. Work will be done as quickly as possible.

Ahead of the road closure on Monday 26 February, there will be some night works in the Brynderwyn Hills. The road is still open but will operate under stop/go traffic management. 

The crossing closed in April 2022 due to safety concerns over the derailment risk created by low vehicles striking the rail tracks. Since then NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and the Waikato District Council have been working with KiwiRail and the local community to assess thoroughly assess all the future options for the crossing.

For more information see nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh1b-telephone-road-rail-crossing/

One option put forward was to close Holland Road westbound from the rail crossing as a way to lower the cost of the work required to make crossing safe, making the project more affordable. Of those that expressed a view in the survey 38 percent were in favour, 35 percent opposed and 27 percent were neutral.

The results were clearer when asked about the impact of the closure, with 72 per cent responding that the closure had been negative, 22 percent saying the closure was neutral and 6 percent saying it was positive.

The survey results are available to view at nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh1b-telephone-road-rail-crossing/

The survey was conducted late last year by NZTA and Waikato District Council. It had a  total of 254 responses from the community indicated the high level of interest the community had in the future of the rail crossing, says Roger Brady, NZTA’s Acting Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations.

“It’s clear that the crossing continues to have an impact for many members of the community,” Mr Brady says. “Safety remains the main concern of KiwiRail and NZTA at this crossing and we will continue to work with our partners and the community to determine the future of the 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.  

Weight restrictions are currently in place on two highway bridges in Hawke’s Bay and one north of Gisborne.

In Hawke’s Bay:

• Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge on State Highway 2, north of Napier, is limited to general access and 50MAX. Overweight and over dimension are by permit only with a 10km/h speed limit and 1 heavy vehicle at a time policy.
• Ngaruroro River Bridge (Fernhill) on State Highway 50, has a speed restriction in place of 30km/h and a weight restriction dependent on the vehicle’s axles.

In Tairāwhiti:

• Hikuwai Bailey bridge on State Highway 35, north of Tolaga Bay, is limited to general access and 50MAX. Overweight and over dimension are by permit only with a 10km/h speed limit and 1 heavy vehicle at a time policy.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Hikuwai No. 1 bridge on SH35 and Waikare Gorge Bridge on SH2, were two bridges that were destroyed. In their place now are Bailey bridges, until permanent solutions are constructed.

NZTA Journey Manager for Hawke’s Bay, Andre Taylor says these bridges have clearly-marked weight restrictions in place for a reason.

“The weight and speed restrictions are in place to preserve the life of the bridges, they are going to be here for a number of years until the permanent solutions are designed and constructed, so we need to look after them.

“We know the majority of operators are conscious of the restrictions and continue to adhere to them, however we know of one instance where Police have stopped a vehicle travelling across the Fernhill Bridge recently, well in excess of the signposted restrictions. Police have taken enforcement action against this company.

“We’ve had unconfirmed reports of overweight vehicles using Hikuwai and Waikare Bailey bridges.

“This is a timely reminder that these restrictions are in place, and we will continue to work with New Zealand Police to enforce these bridge restrictions.

“Adhering to those restrictions is a really important part of ensuring the bridges remain open and accessible to all road users, the last thing we all want or need is further restrictions on the bridges.” says Mr Taylor.

The state highway is a key route for locals, tourists, and freight but too many people are being killed or seriously injured in crashes while travelling it.

Between 2019 and 2023, there were 159 crashes on SH3 between Whanganui and Bulls, which resulted in 7 people dying and 19 being seriously injured.  

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery Rob Partridge says research shows median barriers virtually eliminate head-on crashes and reduce deaths and serious injuries from run-off-road crashes by around 40-50 percent.

“The flexible barriers will deliver immediate safety benefits while maintaining efficient travel between Whanganui and Bulls.

“Flexible barriers will literally be life-saving for drivers.

“The exact lengths of these stretches of median barrier are to be confirmed but they will be installed at locations where the road is already wide enough to support the barrier.”

These stretches of median barrier will mark the start of a wider programme of safety improvements, which will see median barrier and turnaround facilities installed along much of the highway between Whanganui and Bulls.

“We are currently developing the plan for improvements along the rest of the route and will engage with residents and businesses and the wider community, as these plans develop,” says Mr Partridge.

Later this month, NZTA is hosting two community drop-in sessions. These will be an opportunity for the community to meet with members of the project team and ask questions they may have about the project:

Drop in session locations:

• Whanganui: Pioneer Room – Whanganui War Memorial Centre, Tuesday 20 February 2024, 4-7pm
• Bulls: Bulls Town Hall, Te Matapihi, Thursday 22 February 2024, 4-7pm.

To provide feedback or ask questions about the project, contact email hidden; JavaScript is required

For further information about the SH3 Whanganui to Bulls safety improvements project and to sign up to email updates visit https://nzta.govt.nz/whanganui-to-bulls

Over the next three weeks, Wellington Transport Alliance road crews will lay over 2.7 lane kilometres of new asphalt on the motorway’s north and southbound lanes. They will also upgrade lane control signals and do other general maintenance work. 

The work will be done at night, between 9 pm and 4 am, Sundays to Thursdays, at various locations between The Terrace Tunnel and the Ngauranga Interchange, requiring north and southbound road closures.

Drivers travelling from 7 pm should also expect delays as there will be lane closures along the Urban Motorway for roadworks setup.

If you are driving in and out of the Wellington CBD in the evenings, it is essential you travel early to avoid congestion and traffic delays. This is particularly important for people heading to the airport and travellers with Cook Strait ferry connections.

Closures will be in place for southbound traffic from Sunday, 11 February to Thursday, 15 February, and northbound traffic from Sunday, 18 February to Thursday, 29 February.

There will be no work on Fridays and Saturdays, and the motorway will be open as normal on these nights.

Vehicles must use detour routes, so we encourage people to plan for their journeys and expect delays.

This is essential maintenance work on a critical transport link. NZTA Waka Kotahi wants to thank drivers for their patience and co-operation while this project is completed.

All work is weather-dependent and may be delayed if wet weather occurs.

Key Information

• SH1 Wellington Urban Motorway will be closed at various locations from 9 pm to 4 am, Sunday to Thursday nights.
• The motorway will be fully open with traffic management cleared by 5.30 am each morning.
• Friday and Saturday nights will see the motorway open as normal.
• From 7 pm, there will be lane closures to allow traffic management to be put in place. Road users should expect delays from this time.
• There will be signposted detours in place from 9 pm to 4 am.
• Please plan ahead and travel early where possible.

Please see the document attached to this release for more details about the planned closures and detour routes.

SH1 Wellington Urban Motorway night closures

Wellington State Highway 1 Urban Motorway night closures – February 2024

People travelling through Utiku can expect delays of around 20 minutes from Thursday through to Sunday 25 February.

Contractors are building back a section of road by excavating up to 4 metres and replacing it with aggregate and geogrid stabilisation matting.

So far contractors have been able to maintain two lane access, however, at the narrower sections of the road, this will need to be reduced to a single lane to allow for the work.

The one lane closure point will move as the crew moves, and will be controlled by traffic lights. The closure of one lane has been timed to come after the series of long weekends and it’s expected the road will reopen before Easter.

Please respect our crews while travelling through the roadworks site. Crews are there to make everyone’s journey safer while traffic management is in place. If crews are being threatened and abused, we have to stop work in order to keep them safe – which means the job takes longer to complete, with more delays for drivers.

When you’re out on the road, make safe choices to protect yourself and others and please keep our roading crews safe. Drive to the speed limit, make sure you’re rested, and plan ahead.

Roadworks 101 – keeping everyone safe around roadworks

The highway will be closed between the Annesbrook Roundabout and Link Road/Raeward Roundabout for up to ten nights between 11 – 23 February.

A local road detour via Main Road Stoke will be available for all vehicles.

Contractors will conduct repairs on the road’s surface as well as the highway’s central median barriers. They will also do vegetation and weed control, street light repairs, and other general maintenance.

The maintenance work is part of the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi state highway summer maintenance programme. Regular maintenance on the state highway network is the most effective way of minimising the need for substantial and more expensive repairs.

The work has been timed to happen at night when fewer vehicles are on the road to minimise disruption as much as possible. A full closure also allows contractors to finish the work much faster and work in a safer environment with no live traffic lanes.

Because SH6 Whakatu Drive is an important link between Nelson and Tasman, road users must factor the work into their travel plans as the detours will mean slightly longer travel times.”

Detour routes

• People travelling to Nelson Airport or businesses on Quarantine Road will detour via Parkers Road and Pascoe Street.
• Access from Nelson Airport to the city will be via Quarantine Road, but temporary speed restrictions and traffic management will be in place.
• The shared path next to the highway will remain open for cyclists and pedestrians in both directions.
• The local road detour via Main Road Stoke has temporarily been approved by Nelson City and Tasman District councils for use by heavy vehicles.
• This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel times.

Works schedule

• 11 – 23 February, 8:30 pm to 5:30 am – excluding Friday, 16 and Saturday, 17 February.
• State Highway 6, Whakatu Drive, will be closed in both directions, between the Annesbrook Roundabout and Link Road/Raeward Roundabout.
• Following the completion of the night closures, contractors will continue side barrier improvement work on each side of the Nayland Road and Songer Street overbridges.
• There will be other areas of work on our state highways across the top of the South during February. Please plan ahead when travelling.

Works map and detour route