Category: Transport

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Night works are planned early next month that will see State Highway 1 Ngauranga Gorge closed to southbound traffic between Johnsonville southbound offramp and Ngauranga Interchange.

The highway’s southbound lanes will be closed for two nights – Sunday, 2 February and Monday, 3 February, between 9 pm and 4:30 am.

Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Transport Alliance Manager, says the middle lane of the highway is to be resurfaced.

“This is a steep section of the highway, where vehicles descend towards Wellington. It is not possible to safely keep other lanes open while we carry out work, so a full directional closure is needed to complete this work.”

“The closure will let us finish this work faster and, because it will be done at night when fewer vehicles are on the road, there will be less impact on drivers,” Ms Hilliard says.

A local detour will be available, and Ms Hilliard says it is important they are followed correctly.

“Light vehicles will be able to take the Johnsonville southbound offramp and detour to the city via Johnsonville, Khandallah, and the Ngaio Gorge. If you are travelling to the Hutt from SH1 you will need to take the SH58 detour via Transmission Gully.”“However, this route is not suitable for heavy vehicles because of a height restriction on the Johnsonville underpass. They must use State Highway 58 to Haywards Hill and State Highway2 Hutt Valley to get to the city. These detours are longer, so drivers should allow for extra travel time,” Ms Hilliard says.

She says while the two-night closure and detours will cause delays for drivers, it is essential the work is done. It is about keeping a critical and heavily used transport link safe and resilient for all road users,” Ms Hilliard says.

Works Schedule and Detour Routes:

• Sunday, 2 February and Monday, 3 February. 9 pm – 4:30 am
• Southbound closure SH1 Ngauranga Gorge between Johnsonville southbound offramp and Ngauranga Interchange.
• Travelling to the Hutt from SH1, take the SH58 detour via TG.
• Light vehicles detour via Johnsonville southbound offramp, Middleton Road, Johnsonville, Khandallah, and Ngaio Gorge. This route is not suitable for heavy vehicles.
• Heavy vehicles must detour via SH58 Haywards and SH2 Hutt Valley.

View larger map [PDF, 344 KB]

More Information:

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A summer of work to complete much-needed maintenance on State Highway 29 Kaimai Range will see night closures over 2 weeks next month, from Sunday 9 February to the morning of Friday 14 February (5 nights) and from Sunday 16 February to the morning of Friday 21 February (5 nights), between 8pm and 4.30am each night.

The closures are needed to undertake asphalt renewals and other routine maintenance activities such as clearing drains, sign maintenance and road marking. Please note the previously advised SH29 closure was for 1 week, an extra week has been added to complete additional maintenance while the road is closed, while also allowing for the possibility of bad weather. If the work is completed before the full two weeks is up, then the road will reopen early.

During the day SH29 will be open but may be under a temporary speed restriction.

This is one of a number of night closures for SH29 for vital maintenance work on this busy route linking Waikato with the Bay of Plenty. Due to the nature of the road over the Kaimai Range, plus the heavy traffic volumes due to its importance as part of the ‘Golden Triangle’, full closures are the most efficient and effective way to get important maintenance work done,

More information about the work happening on SH29 over the summer:

Further closures are planned for April, the exact dates will be shared when they have been confirmed.

The detours for this closure are significant and add considerable time to journeys. People are encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner and allow extra time for their journey, or if possible, delay travel over SH29 on these nights.   

Journey Planner(external link)

The detour routes are:

• South: SH28, SH5, SH30, SH33, SH2 via Rotorua  
• North: SH24, SH27, SH26, SH2 via Karangahake Gorge  

The closure points on the western (Waikato) side are at the SH29/24 and SH29/28 intersections and on the eastern (BOP) side at the SH29/Cambridge Road intersection. Emergency services will have access at all times, and residents can access their property from the relevant side of the closure. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Road users are advised to plan ahead for a series of daytime closures on State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioeka Gorge from Tuesday 11 February.

The road will be closed from Kerei Street, Matawai, and Warrington Road, Ōpōtiki, between the hours of 10am and 6pm from Tuesday 11 February to Friday 14 February enabling contractors to safely replace the road surface at 2 corners within the Waioeka Gorge with asphalt.  

On Monday 10 February, the road will be open with stop/go and a reduced speed limit in place between 8am and 5pm allowing crews to dig up the existing road in preparation for the asphalt layer.  

Bay of Plenty System Manager Sandra King says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) recognises the significance of SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge, particularly for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region.  

“This section of SH2 has a critical function with no convenient detour route. It’s the key connection for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region to the Bay of Plenty and beyond.  

“We understand this work will cause inconvenience, and we don’t take planning road closures lightly. In this instance, by closing the Waioeka Gorge for 8 hours a day, we’re able to complete this essential work more efficiently and safely, improving safety and resilience through the area. 

“Our state highway network is key to New Zealanders’ ability to travel throughout the country, and this work is necessary to ensure the road is safe and accessible for everyone who travels on it. 

“The road width through the Gorge is narrow, and the confined space makes it challenging to allow road users past the machinery needed to complete the road works. The safety of road users, the community and our teams is incredibly important to us.  

“Careful consideration has been made in determining the timing for this work and the impacts to freight, industry, tourism and the wider community. This work needs to be completed this summer, under the right temperature and dry weather conditions. If not, ongoing maintenance work will be needed, resulting in more significant disruption.”  

Ms King says NZTA is making the most of the closures by getting all scheduled Gorge works for this construction season completed at the same time. This includes other pavement repairs, clearing drains and sign repairs. 

“The Bay of Plenty/Tairāwhiti regions are seeing a significant portion of the increase in investment in state highway maintenance and resilience. 

“The summer renewal season is one of the most disruptive in recent memory due to the volume of rebuilding taking place. To complete the work within the available time, traffic management such as full or partial road closures are being used to enable work to be completed more efficiently.” 

Ms King advises those looking to travel through the Gorge before or after the closure times will need to plan ahead as well. 

“It’s nearly a 30-minute drive from Ōpōtiki to the closure site and approximately 35 minutes from Matawai. We encourage people to factor this in when looking to get through before or after the closure times as there will be no openings once it’s closed,” Ms King says. 

Access for emergency services will be maintained throughout the works. 

As this work is weather dependent, NZTA has scheduled 3 contingency days between Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 February. Road users are advised to check the NZTA Journey Planner on the day of travel for up-to-date information about the closures. 

Journey Planner(external link)

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience and understanding as we undertake these important works. 

Date/Time	Road status
Monday 10 February	OPEN, stop/go 8am – 5pm
Tuesday 11 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Wednesday 12 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Thursday 13 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Friday 14 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Saturday 15 February	OPEN
Sunday 16 February	OPEN
Monday 17 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm
Tuesday 18 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm
Wednesday 19 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Road users are advised to plan ahead for a series of daytime closures on State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge from Tuesday 11 February.

The road will be closed from Kerei Street, Matawai, and Warrington Road, Ōpōtiki, between the hours of 10am and 6pm from Tuesday 11 February to Friday 14 February enabling contractors to safely replace the road surface at 2 corners within the Waioweka Gorge with asphalt.  

On Monday 10 February, the road will be open with stop/go and a reduced speed limit in place between 8am and 5pm allowing crews to dig up the existing road in preparation for the asphalt layer.  

Bay of Plenty System Manager Sandra King says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) recognises the significance of SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge, particularly for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region.  

“This section of SH2 has a critical function with no convenient detour route. It’s the key connection for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region to the Bay of Plenty and beyond.  

“We understand this work will cause inconvenience, and we don’t take planning road closures lightly. In this instance, by closing the Waioweka Gorge for 8 hours a day, we’re able to complete this essential work more efficiently and safely, improving safety and resilience through the area. 

“Our state highway network is key to New Zealanders’ ability to travel throughout the country, and this work is necessary to ensure the road is safe and accessible for everyone who travels on it. 

“The road width through the Gorge is narrow, and the confined space makes it challenging to allow road users past the machinery needed to complete the road works. The safety of road users, the community and our teams is incredibly important to us.  

“Careful consideration has been made in determining the timing for this work and the impacts to freight, industry, tourism and the wider community. This work needs to be completed this summer, under the right temperature and dry weather conditions. If not, ongoing maintenance work will be needed, resulting in more significant disruption.”  

Ms King says NZTA is making the most of the closures by getting all scheduled Gorge works for this construction season completed at the same time. This includes other pavement repairs, clearing drains and sign repairs. 

“The Bay of Plenty/Tairāwhiti regions are seeing a significant portion of the increase in investment in state highway maintenance and resilience. 

“The summer renewal season is one of the most disruptive in recent memory due to the volume of rebuilding taking place. To complete the work within the available time, traffic management such as full or partial road closures are being used to enable work to be completed more efficiently.” 

Ms King advises those looking to travel through the Gorge before or after the closure times will need to plan ahead as well. 

“It’s nearly a 30-minute drive from Ōpōtiki to the closure site and approximately 35 minutes from Matawai. We encourage people to factor this in when looking to get through before or after the closure times as there will be no openings once it’s closed,” Ms King says. 

Access for emergency services will be maintained throughout the works. 

As this work is weather dependent, NZTA has scheduled 3 contingency days between Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 February. Road users are advised to check the NZTA Journey Planner on the day of travel for up-to-date information about the closures. 

Journey Planner(external link)

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience and understanding as we undertake these important works. 

Date/Time	Road status
Monday 10 February	OPEN, stop/go 8am – 5pm
Tuesday 11 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Wednesday 12 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Thursday 13 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Friday 14 February	Closed between 10am – 6pm
Saturday 15 February	OPEN
Sunday 16 February	OPEN
Monday 17 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm
Tuesday 18 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm
Wednesday 19 February	Contingency day. If needed, closed between 10am – 6pm

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is urging drivers travelling throughout Auckland and Northland to be extra cautious over the next 24 hours with heavy rain and wind warnings in place.

Metservice has issued a number of warnings for the regions:

• Northland: From 3pm Monday til 10am Tuesday – heavy rain and severe thunderstorms forecast. From 11pm Monday til 8am Tuesday – severe thunderstorms forecast. From 1am til 8am Tuesday – strong winds forecast.
• Coromandel Peninsula: From 6am til 9pm Tuesday – heavy rain forecast.
• Auckland and Great Barrier Island: From 4am til 4pm Tuesday – heavy rain forecast. From 4am til midday Tuesday, strong wind is forecast.

Crews will be closely monitoring the state highways while these warnings are in place.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising all road users to take extreme care, especially high sided vehicles and motorcyclists in the wind and for those who come across any surface flooding, from rising rivers and streams nearby.

It’s really important to drive to the conditions, adjust your speed and following distance when you need to and be alert for the possibility of surface flooding or debris on roads.

Please stay alert when approaching road works where crews may still be work. Other areas which may not have crews currently working may still have temporary traffic management or speed limits in place – please adhere to those speed limits.

Most importantly  – drive to the conditions; if they change, reduce your speed.

Please also expect short-notice closures should conditions worsen and keep an eye on the NZTA Journey Planner for any changes.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

A strong wind warning is in place for Auckland Harbour Bridge over the next 24-48 hours.

Metservice has a number of strong wind, heavy rain and severe thunderstorm warnings in place for Northland; Auckland and Coromandel.

That includes the Harbour Bridge and the possibility of 75-85 km/h winds in the area between 10am and 4pm tomorrow (Tuesday).

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is urging bridge users to be careful when driving over the bridge and be prepared for the possibility of short-notice lane closures and reduced speeds to ensure the safety of people using the bridge.

NZTA expects the bridge to remain in 4 x 4 lane configuration during the peak traffic hours tomorrow morning and evening.

Keeping road users safe and protecting the bridge are a priority. Decisions to lower speeds, close lanes, or close are carefully considered.

Other warnings in place for the upper North Island:

• Northland: From 3pm Monday til 10am Tuesday – heavy rain and severe thunderstorms forecast. From 11pm Monday til 8am Tuesday – severe thunderstorms forecast. From 1am til 8am Tuesday – strong winds forecast.
• Coromandel Peninsula: From 6am til 9pm Tuesday – heavy rain forecast.
• Auckland and Great Barrier Island: From 4am til 4pm Tuesday – heavy rain forecast. From 4am til midday Tuesday, strong wind is forecast.

Crews will be closely monitoring the state highways while these warnings are in place.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising all road users to take extreme care, especially high sided vehicles and motorcyclists in the wind and for those who come across any surface flooding, from rising rivers and streams nearby.

It’s really important to drive to the conditions, adjust your speed and following distance when you need to and be alert for the possibility of surface flooding or debris on roads.

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is reconstructing the Tucker Beach Road intersection near the Shotover River towards the end of January.

The SH6 milling and asphalting will be completed out at night over a fortnight – Sunday, 26 January to Thursday, 6 February, 8 pm to 6 am – to minimise daytime delays and disruptions.

• Crews will be working Sunday – Thursday nights with Friday and Saturday nights off. Work is weather dependent so if it rains, it will be pushed out for that night.
• Please take care around crews and factor in up to ten minutes for the Stop/Go operations.

To be followed by…

Soon after work will start on the Humphrey St intersection, near the Kawarau River, from Sunday, 9 February, to Friday, 21 February also for a fortnight overnight – 8 pm to 6 am.

Given the residential housing in this area, crews will be doing their best to reduce any vibrations or noise. The road pavement in this area has now reached the end of its serviceable life and given the increasing traffic volumes on this section of SH6, the new pavement mix will be stronger than the existing material, says Peter Standring, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA in Central Otago.

• Crews will be working Sunday – Thursday nights with Friday and Saturday nights off. Work is weather dependent so if it rains, it will be pushed out for that night. Drivers will need to factor in some extra time for the stop/go operation. The site will operate under a reduced 30 km/h during the daytime.

NZTA thanks all wider Queenstown drivers for their patience while these worn-out pieces of highway are replaced, and work continues at the entrance to the town.

Work around the Frankton Roundabout

Meanwhile the work to improve connectability and access in and out of Queenstown at the SH6 and SH6A Frankton roundabout continues apace with some nights needed for night work to minimise daytime disruptions.

• SH6 Kawarau Road one night of work ahead of stormwater upgrades: 
  • Tuesday 14 January, 10 pm to Wednesday morning, 15 January, 5.30 am between the roundabout and the Frankton Bus Hub.
• SH6 Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway, 13 nights of work:
  • Sunday, 19 January to Friday 31 January between Grant Road and the Frankton Roundabout (no work on Friday or Saturday nights) 10 pm – 5.30 am at night.
  • This work involves almost a kilometre of road marking on Frankton Road and removing all the power lines and poles on that stretch of highway, with two hundred road cones no longer needed once it is done.