Investigations and repair of defects have been under way since mid-September on the 4.8km section of the Waikato Expressway, which opened to traffic in 2017.
Jo Wilton, regional manager of infrastructure delivery at the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, said completing the works has been a difficult job.
“Investigation work – once traffic had been moved off lanes – found repairs were more extensive in some places.
“So timelines and the programme have kept shifting. Road users have been very patient during the works and we thank them for their understanding.”
Work continues on repairs and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway, between the Lake Road and Gordonton Road interchanges.
The aim is to upgrade the section to the same standard as neighbouring expressway sections which operate at 110km/h.
The project started last spring and progress has ramped up over the current construction season.
“An agreed design solution and work programme, along with more resources from the contractor, has seen work accelerated this season,” Wilton said.
The Waikato Expressway at Rangiriri. Photo / Mike Scott
“In the last three months we have seen much more progress and people can expect that to continue as they widen and raise the highway.”
There will be only a brief break in work over the Christmas-New Year period, and the traffic management and temporary safety barriers will stay in place over the summer holidays.
“We did move the barriers last summer break and the site remained inactive until mid-February. That’s not the case this year and it would take a week of night closures in each direction to move the barriers so that is not an option.”
The current southbound night-time detours from Sunday to Thursday wrap up shortly.
All works on the Ngāruawāhia section are expected to finish in mid-2025 although Waka Kotahi and its contractors are continuing to look at programming and resources to have the work finished earlier.
