State Highway 1 travellers will see some changes ahead as work continues to bring the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway up to 110km/h standard. 

Contractors will be moving temporary steel safety barriers next week as they continue shoulder works and complete work in both the north and southbound lanes. 

The temporary barrier shift requires 5 nights of closures with traffic using the established detours around the site.

Northbound closures: Sunday to Tuesday 28-30 July,  7pm-5am

Southbound closures:  Wednesday to Thursday 31 July-1 August, 7pm-5am

During the closures, the detour routes are different for each direction due to works in Ngāruawāhia town which prevent southbound highway traffic using this route as a detour.  

The northbound detour takes SH1 traffic via Ngāruawāhia on the old highway between the Horotiu and Gordonton Road interchanges. HPMVs must use SH1B, and overweight vehicles need to use SH2/27, under an existing overweight permit.  

Southbound detour traffic will use SH1B, rejoining SH1 via Lake Road. However heavy vehicles (50 tonnes and above) must continue on SH1B, including the local road detour around Telephone Road, and connect to SH1 again at Cambridge or via SH26 into Hamilton.

People are asked to take extra care when travelling along the detour route by following any temporary speed limits, signs and instructions from the traffic management team.

On-going work at the SH1 Ngāruawāhia section includes: Shoulder widening and construction of new maintenance bays. Shoulder barrier works. Structural pavement treatment works.

A final continuous asphalt surface will complete the repair works, replacing the temporary chipseal and asphalt surfaces which have been in place during earlier temporary repairs and while moisture monitoring was conducted.

The safety improvements needed to bring the road up to 110km/h standard include making side barriers continuous, upgrading some barriers, additional maintenance and turnaround bays for emergency services, shoulder widening and relocating some lighting. 

The works are expected to finish in mid-2025 although the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and its contractors are continuing to look at programming and resources to have the work finish earlier. 

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi works to create transport solutions for all New Zealanders – from helping new drivers earn their licences, to leading safety campaigns to investing in public transport, state highways and local roads.