Waikato roadworks: SH1 Ātiamuri delays expected

Stop/go traffic management will be in place south of Ātiamuri. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Roadworks on State Highway 1 south of Ātiamuri will begin on Monday, bringing stop/go traffic management and delays to the area.

The traffic management will occur in two phases, with the first between January 22 and 26, from 6am to 6pm.

From January 30, the stop/go management will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week until about March 9.

A statement from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said the road was being widened for flexible median barrier installation along a 6.9km stretch of SH1, from Waikato River Bridge to Thorpe Rd.

Flexible median barriers helped to prevent head-on collisions and cars being run off the road, it said.

The site is already undergoing work, which is happening behind temporary steel barriers with 50km/h speed restrictions. However, one area of the road is too narrow for the barriers to be used, requiring additional restrictions.

Delays of about five minutes were expected through the area, NZTA said.

Travellers in light vehicles were advised that Oruanui Rd, Forest Rd and Tirohanga Rd could be used as an alternative route to avoid SH1.

More stop/go management would be in place further south along the road, with remedial work and pre-seal repairs set to resume by the end of the month. This would be between Maroa Rd and Tram Rd, where median barriers have been installed.

The stop/go operation would be 24/7, and is expected to finish in mid-February depending on the weather.

All works are part of the safety improvements project on SH1 from Piarere to Taupō.

For more information, visit www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh1-taupo/sh1-piarere-to-taupo-safe-roads-and-roadsides.

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.