Karāpiro visitors get road bonus for Labour Weekend

The turn around bay at Keeley Reserve will be finished on October 19, allowing people access to the popular Lake Karapiro site for Labour Weekend.

Keeley Reserve at Karāpiro will re-open for Labour Weekend with work set to wrap-up on the new turnaround bay this week.

The final touches were being done on the new turnaround bay, to allow the State Highway 1 reserve to reopen to the public. That included hydroseeding grass, signage and minor concrete works.

Traffic management was due to be removed today, October 19.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional manager for infrastructure delivery Jo Wilton said it would be welcome news for lake users, with work completed in just six weeks - three weeks earlier than anticipated.

“This shorter duration in construction has been possible due to a number of factors, such as the materials used on site and the dedicated work of our contractor, J Swap Contractors.”

Wilton said the only outstanding task was the installation of the street lighting system, which would be completed just prior to Christmas or in early 2024.

“The lighting is a key component to improving safety at the entrance to the reserve and will be completed as soon as possible. Procuring the parts is taking longer than expected due to a nation-wide shortage.”

Once the site was disestablished, the right-turn out of Keeley Reserve onto SH1 would remain open until the turnaround at Tunakawa Road was built early next year and more flexible safety median barriers were installed. At this point the right-turn out of Keeley Reserve would be permanently closed.

Construction of the Keeley Reserve turnaround bay followed a recently-completed turnaround bay at the intersection of SH1 and Hydro Road, providing another safe place for people to change direction safely.

For more on the project, visit Waka Kotahi / NZTA’s SH1 Cambridge and Piarere page.

Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald

Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.