Crews are now in the process of finishing the remainder of the closure works, preparing SH1 Brynderwyn Hills to reopen to two-way traffic from 11.59pm Wednesday 26 June.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Project Director Mark Ware says a huge thank you goes out to the Northland community for their support during this time.

“We acknowledge the disruption you have faced with this closure and we have really appreciated your patience, especially while we have worked to clear additional slips. Our crews have worked as fast as possible to reopen this critical link for you. 

“We know that having this road open and more reliable will be a welcome relief to Northland communities and businesses ahead of the busy Matariki weekend.”

It has been a big job to create a shoulder space on the narrow and windy state highway, stabilising the hillside and moving an initial 180,000 cubic metres of soil, followed by a further 60,000 as a result of the slips in late April. 

“To get this amount of work done speaks to the skill and dedication of the teams involved. Thank you to the more than 900 people who have been involved with the project and our contractors who have worked day and night, in all conditions, to keep things on track so that road could reopen as quickly as possible” says Mr Ware. 

The work done to stabilise both the upslopes (above the road) and downslopes (the underside of the road) would not have been possible without a full closure. The huge amount of earth that has been cut away, the levels (or benches) that have been made into the hillside, along with piles and retaining walls will all help the road to withstand the next severe weather event.  

The additional space that has been created next to the existing road means that should there be any future damage, crews can work on repairs without lengthy closures. It all adds up to a more reliable connection for Northland, which we know is so important for communities and other groups such as freight and tourism.  

While some ongoing works were always planned to take place after the full closure, we’ve made the most of the extended full closure to complete as much of this work as we can. When the Brynderwyn Hills reopen road users can expect to see downslope works including drainage and anchors being installed using the newly created shoulder for a period of 2 to 3 months. During this time, we'll also be putting in planting along the corridor.

“We’ll also lay a fresh coat of asphalt on the full road width during the next paving season (in drier weather between October and December) which will require temporary traffic management and night works” says Mr Ware.