Take care on State Highway 1 detours, advises New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

The NZTA has advised road users around the Waikato to take care when using detour routes. Photo / John van de Ven

The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is reminding road users to take care when using detour routes as roadworks on State Highway 1 continue this weekend.

“Complacency can cause accidents,” NZTA maintenance and operations regional manager Roger Brady said.

“NZTA advises road users to drive to the conditions and take care, whichever route they chose.”

Brady said some detour routes have narrow areas, meaning fewer overtaking opportunities.

“Generally people that are unfamiliar with detour routes drive more slowly,” Brady said.

“Expect the journey will take longer than it usually does and plan accordingly.”

NZTA maintenance and operations regional manager Roger Brady. Photo / Andrew Warner

Brady said locals also needed to slow down as they could meet more cars than usual on detour routes.

When it comes to choosing alternative routes, Brady said platforms such as Google could sometimes suggest windy, narrow, one-lane, or even private forestry roads as alternatives.

“Online mapping tools such as Google use predictive traffic models to show users the fastest route only, not necessarily the most suitable route.”

Brady said NZTA recommended detour routes according to their suitability for both light and heavy traffic.

“Our official detour routes are state highways, wherever possible, particularly for longer closures,” Brady said.

“That’s because state highways are built to be suitable for a higher number of vehicles, including heavier vehicles.

“Sometimes if there are no state highway detours available, or they would mean an unreasonably long detour, we partner with our adjacent councils to utilise their local roads.”

A serious crash on a SH1 detour route last week forced motorists to detour via Rotorua. Image / NZTA Journey Planner

The advice comes after a serious crash on State Highway 32, a detour route south of Tokoroa, resulted in the death of one person.

The accident forced the closure of the detour route for several hours in both directions.

This meant northbound motorists had to turn right from SH1 on to SH30, left at the roundabout from SH30 on to SH5, then continue along SH5 until rejoining SH1 in Tīrau.

Southbound traffic detoured from SH1 after Tirau, following the route in reverse.

Road detours this weekend

This weekend, the total time added by daytime detours on SH1 would be about 16 minutes (23km).

This is due to the current all-day closure between Tokoroa and Upper Atiamuri for the Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance project.

“It is not likely that anyone travelling between Hamilton and Wellington would seek to avoid SH1 altogether unless they needed to detour to the Wairarapa,” Brady said.

State Highway 1 from Tokoroa to Kinleith and Upper Ātiamuri will be closed from 5am on October 7.

Night works on SH1 between Piarere and Tīrau will also mean a detour from SH1 south of Cambridge between 7pm and 6am tonight and 8pm and 6am on Saturday and Sunday.

The detour via SH29 and SH27 is 12.9km or an extra 10 minutes’ worth of travel time.

While this detour is in place at night, NZTA’s website has asked drivers not to use Totman Rd as a shortcut.

“Google may suggest this is the best option, but Totman Rd is only open to residents,” the website said.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.