Police officers Kenny Roger, left and Jodi Burton pose for a photo with coffee maker Ruairidh Morrison at the Driver Reviver stop at Uretiti. Photo / John Stone
Police officers Kenny Roger, left and Jodi Burton pose for a photo with coffee maker Ruairidh Morrison at the Driver Reviver stop at Uretiti. Photo / John Stone
Roadworks on State Highway 1 are set to cause traffic congestion chaos and make travelling to and from Northland during the peak summer season challenging.
Officials are urging holidaymakers, who started pouring into the region yesterday to be patient and observe speed limits at the sites with heavy traffic flowsexpected northbound from Auckland until Monday.
NZ Transport Agency's Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said construction crews would not be working over the Christmas break but temporary speed limits through construction sites would remain in place.
"We want everyone to arrive safely at their destinations. We're making the roads better and safer for everyone, but we need motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys," Hori-Hoult said.
Road works stopped on midday on Thursday and would start again on January 6. Temporary speed restrictions will remain in place due to the narrower lanes, road cones and barriers throughout the work sites.
Improvements at the intersection of SH1 and Tarewa Rd is one of the sites that could cause traffic congestion as holidaymakers drive north. Photo / Tania Whyte
The exception was on the Brynderwyn Hills where the temporary speed limit of 30km/h would return to 80km/h over Christmas and New Year.
The northbound passing lane, however, would remain closed until the retaining wall repair works are completed in March.
Just south of Whangārei on SH1 with the intersection of Loop Rd there is a 50km/h speed restriction which drops to 30km/h for a short section of the road. And road re-alignment work on SH1 and the intersection of Tarewa Rd will see that stretch of roadworks come under a 50km/h speed limit.
With the surge of traffic Northland police have upped the number of officers out patrolling the highways.
Senior Sergeant Steve Dickson said the additional staff would be checking motorists' speeds and driving during the day and at night would be breath testing drivers where ever possible.
The police focus was on ensuring people are driving safely and to the conditions over the next two weeks.
Auckland couple Neil and Jo Blizard on their way to a wedding at Russell took the advice of police and had a break at the Driver Reviver stop. Photo / John Stone
"Speed limits are there for a reason and we expect them to be adhered to, and for people drive to the conditions – this may mean driving below the limit in bad or wet weather or high traffic situations," Dickson said.
Over the holiday period, from 4pm yesterday to 6am January 13, if drivers were detected by a speed camera exceeding the area's posted speed limit by more than 4km/h, they would be ticketed.
Officers would still have discretion in how they deal with incidents and how they were enforced.
Dickson was at a driver reviver stop at Uretiti yesterday and said by 11am there was a steady stream of traffic towing trailers and caravans and vehicles packed with holiday gear.
"Drivers have to be more flexible about their travel plans at this time of the year and with the addition of plenty of roadworks they should factor in extra time for their journeys," he said.
TOP DRIVING TIPS: *Plan ahead - take time to make sure that you and your vehicle are safe before starting journey and plan travel to avoid the worst peak traffic periods.
*Watch fatigue - get enough rest beforehand so you drive fresh and plan in advance where you'll take breaks on your trip, plenty of food and water on your journey.
*Check your trailers and caravans towing attachments and make sure the couplings are compatible, check safety chain, trailer lights, tyres and brakes.
*Buckle up - don't let your family holiday be marred by tragedy simply because someone didn't buckle up. The driver is legally responsible for making sure all passengers under the age of 15 are securely restrained.
*Keep your cool - holiday driving can be frustrating with busy roads, often slower travellers and summer heat.
