Hundreds of orange cones which have made Whangarei roads their home - and caused commuter consternation - are being banished this month, as two major work sites near Kensington wind up.
The New Zealand Transport Agency's roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 1 (Western Hills Dr) and Kensington Ave will be completed by Christmas, as planned when work began in January.
Similarly, Whangarei District Council contractors will finish the upgrade of the Nixon St/Kamo Rd/Kensington Ave intersection - another project which had called for detours and delays during 2016.
Final surfacing works meant SH1 near Kensington Ave will be reduced to one lane between 6pm and 7am for two weeks, starting tomorrow. During these nights, drivers would be unable to turn in and out of Kensington Ave.
NZTA Northland highway manager Brett Gliddon said the improvements - one of six projects along Whangarei's SH1 worth $37 million - would improve safety, reduce peak-time queues, and improve freight efficiency.