Waikato River to close for Māori King’s tangihanga, NZTA warns of heavy traffic

Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Waikato Tainui

Sections of the Waikato River will close on Wednesday for the tangihanga of the late Māori King, Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII.

Waikato Regional Council announced today it will close a section of the Waikato river between the Pūkete Boat Ramp and Huntly from 12pm on Wednesday to 7pm on Thursday.

“This is to allow for the proceedings of the tangihanga of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII,” a council spokesperson said.

“Only authorised vessels that are part of the tangihanga will have access to this area during this time.

“The council’s maritime services team will be on the water at Pūkete and Huntly to enforce the closure and have vessels escorting the flotilla during the proceedings.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) acknowledged the passing of the King, and advised motorists to “expect congestion” on State Highway 1 (SH1) between Ngāruawāhia and Huntly on Thursday.

NZTA said several local road closures and detours would be in place while mourners made their way to and from the burial.

Road closures and detours:

• SH1H Great South Road in Ngāruawāhia will be closed between Market Street and Starr Road from 11.30am until 6pm.
• River Road will be closed from Duke Street through to SH1H Great South Road. The detour for River Road closure is via Duke Street and Kelm Road from 6am till 6pm.
• Old Taupiri Road will be closed at Galbraith Street from 9am till 6pm.
• SH1H Great South Road will be closed from the roundabout at the intersection of SH1B and SH1H Great South Road to the end of the passing lane into Huntly. There will be a detour from the Tainui Bridge traffic lights in Huntly via Riverview Road and Hakarimata Road to Ngāruawāhia.
• Ngāruawāhia and the surrounding areas will continue to be heavily congested during this time. People are encouraged to plan ahead and prepare for delays when travelling through the area.
• Those attending the tangihanga may like to consider using the passenger train being made available to transport attendees to and from the burial of Kīngi Tūheitia between Ngāruawāhia and Taupiri Maunga from temporary platforms. Temporary platforms will be located on Old Taupiri Road and at Taupiri Maunga.

For up-to-date travel information, please check the NZTA Journey Planner.