Sealing to happen overnight in Northland roadworks

A barrier has been placed on Western Hills Dr and the road will soon be sealed. Photo/Michael Cunningham

The final road surface on a major section of Northland highway is about to be laid as the project draws to a close much to the relieve of Whangarei motorists.

But the pain is not over just yet with the NZ Transport Agency warning road users that they should expect some delays on the Western Hills Dr area while the final work is carried out.

The roadworks on Western Hills Dr have caused rush-hour chaos for commuters over the past few months as work is being completed on a State Highway 1 roundabout, and the nearby SH1/Manse St intersection.

Part of the final phase is for asphalt to be laid between Kohatu St to just south of Manse St.

The work will take place over four nights starting on the evening of April 30. Workers will start at 7pm and be completed by 7 o'clock each morning. Russell Rd and Manse St will be closed during each of the evenings.

"We understand the frustrations of motorists who've been delayed during the construction of this upgrade, but road users will now benefit from improved journey reliability, safety and freight efficiency through Whangarei," Brett Gliddon the Transport Agency's Northland Highway Manager said.

"This upgrade will improve safety for road users and reduce traffic queuing at the intersection at peak times as well as for road users and pedestrians accessing Kensington Park."

Improvements to the SH1/Kensington Avenue intersection include a new roundabout and central median barriers on the state highway between Kensington Avenue and Manse St.

The new roundabout has a dedicated northbound lane to allow vehicles travelling north to continue without stopping. This will reduce traffic queues as well as minimising potential road noise from heavy vehicles stopping on the hill at the approach to the intersection.