Category: Transport

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: State Highway 1 Puhoi to Orewa remains closed

The NZ Transport Agency is advising motorists that State Highway 1 north of Auckland between Puhoi and Orewa remains closed following a police incident.

Auckland Transport Operations Centre Manager Rua Pani wants to thank Easter road users for their continued patience and for their help in avoiding the area and delaying travel plans.

“We understand the inconvenience this is causing for road users, especially given the increased activity you’d expect on a holiday weekend,” Ms Pani says.

“Transport officials are doing everything they can to get State Highway 1 open as quickly as possible, but the police work must be completed before we can reopen the road.

“The police are aiming to achieve this by 3pm. The NZ Transport Agency will provide an update as soon as one’s available.”

State Highway 16 is the only alternative route for north-south traffic. There is no north-south access via the Hibiscus Coast Highway or east coast roads, says Auckland Transport Operations Centre Manager Rua Pani.

Motorists are advised to leave SH1 at Silverdale or Warkworth to get on to SH16. Motorists will be able to continue on SH1 north to reach the beachside communities at Orewa and Whangaparaoa and south to reach Warkworth, but there will be no through traffic.

“State Highway 16 is not designed for that volume of traffic so there will be congestion and delays. If your travel is not essential, please continue to delay your journey until State Highway 1 is reopened.”

“If you do have to travel, please be aware that SH16 will take longer than usual. Drivers should take extra care and allow extra time for their journey.”

The following diversions are in place:

SH1 Northbound: Traffic is advised to exit at Silverdale, turn left onto Dairy Flat Hwy, right onto Kahikatea Flat road, right onto SH16 and travel north to Wellsford. Motorists can use West Coast Road to Warkworth however there are narrow bridges on this route. SH1 will remain open at Silverdale to allow access to Silverdale and Whangaparaoa however the SH1 is closed at Orewa.

SH1 Southbound: Traffic is advised to exit SH1 at SH16 Wellsford, head south to Kahikatea Flat Rd back to Silverdale or carry on south to the SH16 North Western motorway. SH1 southbound is closed at Woodcocks Rd in Warkworth detour to SH16 via West Coast Rd.

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: SH1 between Puhoi and Orewa to remain closed until further notice

The NZ Transport Agency has confirmed that State Highway 1 north of Auckland between Puhoi and Orewa will be closed for an extended period today following a police incident.

Auckland Transport Operations Centre Manager Rua Pani is advising road users to delay or avoid travel in this area, until State Highway 1 reopens.

“State Highway 16 is the only alternative route for north-south traffic. There is no north-south access via the Hibiscus Coast Highway or east coast roads,” Ms Pani says.

“SH16 is not designed for large volume of traffic that may try to use it today so there will be congestion and delays.”

“We understand the inconvenience this will cause for road users and the significant impact it may have on Easter congestion.”

Motorists who must use SH16 are advised to leave SH1 at Silverdale or Warkworth. Motorists will be able to continue on SH1 north to reach the beachside communities at Orewa and Whangaparaoa and south to reach Warkworth, but there will be no through traffic.

“Police are conducting a criminal investigation at the scene of the incident and it’s likely to take most of the day,” Ms Pani says.

“If you do have to travel, please be aware that SH16 will also take longer than usual. Drivers should take extra care and allow extra time for their journey.”

The Transport Agency thanks drivers for their patience and understanding.

 The following diversions are in place:

 

SH1 Northbound: Traffic is advised to exit at Silverdale, turn left onto Dairy Flat Hwy, right onto Kahikatea Flat road, right onto SH16 and travel north to Wellsford. Motorists can use West Coast Road to Warkworth however there are narrow bridges on this route. SH1 will remain open at Silverdale to allow access to Silverdale and Whangaparaoa however the SH1 is closed at Orewa.

 

SH1 Southbound: Traffic is advised to exit SH1 at SH16 Wellsford, head south to Kahikatea Flat Rd back to Silverdale or carry on south to the SH16 North Western motorway. SH1 southbound is closed at Woodcocks Rd in Warkworth detour to SH16 via West Coast Rd.

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Allow at least 90 minutes for detour around SH1 Desert Road

Southbound traffic can use SH46 and SH47 to National Park, left onto SH4 to Whanganui then left onto SH3 to Bulls. Reverse for northbound.

The NZ Transport Agency says given the amount of holiday traffic on the roads the detour will add approximately 1.5 hours to a journey time.

It says the road is expected to be closed for some time so people should avoid the area if they can or check before they travel.

Road users can get the latest by calling 0800 4 HIGHWAYS or checking the website: www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/

They can see alerts for their journey at: www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz

NZTA is also on Twitter and Facebook:

• www.facebook.com/NZTAWaiBop
• www.twitter.com/nztawaibop

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: State Highway 1 closed between Puhoi and Orewa. Please avoid the area

State Highway 16 is the only alternative route for north-south traffic.  There is no north-south access via the Hibiscus Coast Highway or east coast roads, says Auckland Transport Operations Centre Manager Rua Pani.

Motorists are advised to leave SH1 at Silverdale or Warkworth to get on to SH16. Motorists will be able to continue on SH1 north to reach the beachside communities at Orewa and Whangaparaoa and south to reach Warkworth, but there will be no through traffic.

Police are conducting a criminal investigation at the scene of the incident and it’s not yet known when SH1 will reopen.

The Transport Agency advises drivers to delay or postpone their journey.

“Our historical data for Easter holiday travel suggests traffic heading north will get heavy from 10am and be very heavy from midday, ” says Ms Pani. 

“State Highway 16 is not designed for that volume of traffic so there will be congestion and delays. If your travel this morning is not essential, please delay your journey until State Highway 1 is reopened.”

“If you do have to travel, please be aware that SH16 will take longer than usual. Drivers should take extra care and allow extra time for their journey.”

The following diversions are in place: 

SH1 Northbound Traffic is advised to exit at Silverdale, turn left onto Dairy Flat Hwy, right onto Kahikatea Flat road, right onto SH16 and travel north to Wellsford. Motorists can use West Coast Road to Warkworth however there are narrow bridges on this route.  SH1 will remain open at Silverdale to allow access to Silverdale and Whangaparaoa however the SH1 is closed at Orewa.

SH1 Southbound. Traffic is advised to exit SH1 at SH16 Wellsford, head south to Kahikatea Flat Rd back to Silverdale or carry on south to the SH16 North Western motorway.  SH1 southbound is closed at Woodcocks Rd in Warkworth detour to SH16 via West Coast Rd. 

The Transport Agency apologises to motorists for the inconvenience and thanks drivers for their patience and understanding.

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Crash at Washdyke, South Canterbury: Detour in place

A car rolling and blocking lanes at Washdyke, State Highway 1, South Canterbury, just before 2 pm today, means that Dunedin-bound traffic will be detoured left onto Dominion Road and Seadown Road to get around the crash site.

Northbound traffic will take the reverse route.

Traffic is very heavy on SH1 today with Ed Sheeran/ Dunedin-bound traffic making the journey reasonably slow.

“Please do not take risks or think that by passing the car in front you are making your journey any faster,” says John Keenan, Maintenance Contract Manager for the Transport Agency in South Canterbury.

Two separate crashes at Telegraph Road, Burnham, earlier today also created bottlenecks for southbound traffic just south of Christchurch.

Traffic is slow through all the towns along SH1 in South Canterbury and Otago today. People who do not need to be on State Highway 1 are encouraged to avoid it if possible while the traffic gets to Dunedin for the early evening show.

• This afternoon’s crash is just south of the intersection with Kennels Rd in Washdyke, near Timaru.  
• Both lanes of traffic are blocked and traffic is being diverted by emergency services into Seadown area to the east.

How to stay up to date:

• 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
• www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Twitter NZTA Canterbury/ West Coasthttps://twitter.com/NZTACWC
• Facebook www.facebook.com/nztasouthisland
• Journey planner: http://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Safety on State Highway 1 north of Christchurch: Saltwater Creek to Tram Road – what people told us

The NZ Transport Agency has been looking at ways to make a stretch of State Highway 1, between Saltwater Creek and Tram Road, safer.

Between 2007 and 2016, 13 people were killed and 48 seriously injured on this stretch of road. Many of these deaths and injuries were caused by head-on crashes or drivers running off the road and hitting trees, poles or deep ditches.

Transport Agency System Manager Pete Connors says the team held a community event in Woodend in November last year to share their road safety ideas and to get feedback from people who use the road. They also invited feedback online and by mail.

“More than 70 people came to speak to us at the community event and we received 74 feedback forms, and a number of emails.

“Since then, we’ve had great conversations with people in the community and commuters about making the road safer. We wanted to find out what makes this road feel unsafe and what worries drivers the most,” Mr Connors says.

“People have told us the high traffic volumes, and speed in some areas, made them feel unsafe and some felt nervous turning onto or off the state highway. Others were worried about drivers crossing the centreline while roadside parking affecting visibility was an issue for some.

“People also said they would support flexible safety barriers down the middle of the road to help prevent head-on crashes and they would like speed to be reviewed, and more signs to make people aware of the speed limit. People also wanted the existing Ashley River/ Rakahuri Bridge widened or a new bridge built.”

Mr Connors says feedback from people who know the road well is really important.

“We use the information alongside our research to make sure we haven’t missed anything and that the safety improvements we decide on are the right ones for the community and for people who use the road,” he says.  

The team has also met stakeholders such as Waimakariri District Council, Environment Canterbury and the Heavy Haulage Association to add to the feedback and information they got from the public, to make sure they have got the full picture, Mr Connors says.

The project team will make final decisions on safety improvements for this road and share them with the community later this year.

The Safe Roads project looks to upgrade the road so that a simple mistake on this highway doesn’t result in someone dying or being seriously injured.

More information can be found on the NZ Transport Agency website at www.nzta.govt.nz/a2b

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: NZTA reminds drivers to not text and drive

Inspiration for the signs came from local truck drivers who alerted the NZ Transport Agency to a particular area near Tangoio where they had seen a number of road users checking their mobile phones while driving.

Investigations highlighted that this was the first area that drivers were able to get mobile network coverage after a long blackspot during their trip.

Journey Manager Oliver Postings says that driver distraction is a serious road safety issue, and that drivers who text and use hand-held mobile phones while on the road are breaking the law.

“It is illegal to send or receive text messages and calls on hand-held mobiles while driving. Anything we can do to remind the public to stay safe and focus on reaching their destination safely is a really worthwhile initiative.”

“In 2016 driver distraction was a contributing factor in 23 fatal crashes and 178 serious injury crashes around New Zealand.”

“This Easter and beyond, we want road users to stop taking unnecessary risks on this stretch of road and all others. No text is worth losing your life over.”

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: No Easter opening for SH11 past Lemons Hill slip in Northland

Crews are working from the top of the slip to clear loose material, but the work has been constantly interrupted by bad weather.

A plan to use explosives on the slip is still going through a review of health and safety processes and geotechnical analysis.

“We have considered opening the road for a time at the start and end of the day, but there’s a risk that loose material could fall on to the road at any time,” says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

“Our crews are working as fast as safely possible given the complexity of the slip, the difficult access and the weather interruptions. We’re conscious of the importance of the link to the Bay of Islands for locals and tourists and we’re working to reopen the road as soon as we can.”

Heavy rain brought down the slip on Lemons Hill on February 13, closing SH11 between Paihia and Kawakawa.

The sign posted detour is via State Highways 1, 10 and 11. With increased traffic on the detour, drivers should allow up to 30 minutes for the journey between Kawakawa and Paihia. We ask motorists to drive with care and to the road conditions, and to allow enough time to get to their destination safely.

The Transport Agency apologises for the inconvenience and thanks local communities and visitors to the region for their understanding and patience during this time.

Stay informed on the progress of clearing this slip at www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/sh11 or on the NZTA Auckland and Northland Facebook page.

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: New mobile barrier to keep workers and drivers safe on Auckland motorways

The MBT-1, a 20 metre long mobile motorway barrier, rolled off a container ship in Auckland today.

The barrier will provide a highly mobile, protected work environment for motorway workers and is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It drives fully setup, like a semi-truck, and can be easily positioned and driven from one site to another. Once it’s in position, crew can quickly move inside the barrier and get to work.

The safest way to carry out essential maintenance is usually to shut down an entire section of motorway, no matter how many lanes there are. The MBT will allow crews to quickly get to work in a safe and protected manner while still keeping some lanes open to traffic, says the Transport Agency’s System Manager Steve Mutton.

“It’s a win-win situation for safety and traffic flow.”

The MBT-1 will be used by the Auckland Motorway Alliance (AMA) which is responsible for the maintenance and operation of Auckland’s motorways.

The AMA makes dozens of night time closures a week to carry out essential safety and maintenance work on stretches of motorway and on and off ramps. The closures are mostly at night when traffic is light and closures cause least disruption and delays. The MTB will give the crews new protection, flexibility and agility.

The MBT-1 is widely used on American motorways, where road crews had found that set up and breakdown of a work site often took longer than the work itself. With the mobile barrier, crews are doing in one night what used to take three to five nights.

The MBT-1 has side walls nearly 2 metres high.

“There’s physical and visual separation from passing traffic. “Rubberneckers” will be less inclined to slow down and look because the barrier’s solid wall means they can’t really see anything. Traffic will be able to flow freely past in their own lanes,” says Mr Mutton.

The MBT-1 will be self-contained, carrying its own power, lights and signage. The barrier’s on-board and internal storage can carry tonnes of equipment and supplies. That will help reduce the number of other work vehicles parking on the motorway while work is carried out.

“The barrier will be particularly useful on jobs such as chip seal, pothole repairs, median barrier replacements or repairs and where there are a number of discrete work areas and separate locations in a given day or night,” says Mr Mutton.

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Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Motorists on SH1 north of Auckland over Easter will find new road seal

The Transport Agency has been making the most of the warmer, usually drier summer months to get ahead on major projects and improve the safety and resilience of the regions’ highways.

“We do much of our work in summer because we need warm, dry conditions to help new road seals to stick to the existing surface and create more durable highways,” says the Transport Agency’s System Manager Steve Mutton.

Heading north from Auckland, motorists will encounter new seal on the Brynderwyn Hills. There’s new seal from the top of the Brynderwyns to the Lookout in the north and southbound lanes. The road will be swept clean and road markings applied but motorists still need to take extra care through the area.

Drivers are advised to plan your journey to avoid peak travel times and allow more time to reach your destination.

Further north, there are recent seals on the Waipu straights and near Uretiti.

The repairs and resealing of the three Mata Bridges between Ruakaka and Oakleigh is scheduled to be completed overnight tonight (Wednesday), weather permitting.

There are speed limits in place around the new seal.

Just north of the Mata Bridges, there are ongoing road works at Oakleigh, where the road is not sealed and temporary speed limits will be in place. There will be no active works at this location over the long weekend. 

The road surface will be in a compacted smooth state, but motorists are warned it could deteriorate in heavy traffic if it rains. The road surface could break up and cause potholes. Road crews will be on standby with a grader and roller to repair the road for drivers’ comfort and safety.   

Drivers are advised to stay in their lanes and keep to the speed limit for their own safety as well as other motorists and road crew. 

Drivers using State Highway 15 are advised to allow more time for their travel on Saturday as road crews will be doing patch repair works under stop/go traffic management just south of the Twin bridges.

“We ask motorists to slow down through road works and respect the reduced speed limits because we want everyone including workers and motorists to stay safe this summer, ” says Mr Mutton.

Drivers returning to Auckland on SH2 from the Coromandel and other areas to the south east of the city are advised that the passing lane by the Maramarua Golf Course will be closed on Monday from 9am to 8pm.

The closure will make the road safer for all road users in heavy traffic by maintaining a steady flow and preventing the risk of crashes as traffic merges at the end of the passing lane. Slightly longer queues can be expected but there will be minimal impact to overall travel times. 

For information about road works in your area and across the country you can go online and visit our Summer Journeys website https://nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information/, phone 0800 444 449, or  follow the Transport Agency on Facebook or Twitter.

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