Wellington’s SH1 Terrace Tunnel is due for its annual WoF. In the same way your car needs to pass regular inspection to ensure it is safe, the same applies to the State Highway 1 Tunnels in Wellington. They both must have annual Building Warrant of Fitness checks,” says Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager.

“Because they are critical infrastructure on heavily used traffic routes, they must be inspected, assessed, and maintained regularly.” 

Wellingtonians can expect to see a week of night closures of the Terrace Tunnel next month while the inspection takes place.

“This will take five nights to complete. The tunnel will have to be closed while this work is underway, so drivers will need to use alternative local road routes through the city. 

“We appreciate this will affect traffic and cause some delays, but these inspections are essential and must be done to ensure the tunnel remains in good repair. We will make the most of the closure by carrying out resurfacing work on the approaches to the tunnel at the same time. In effect, we will be getting two jobs done at once,” Ms Hilliard says.

The Terrace Tunnel will be closed Sunday to Thursday nights (8 to 12 February), between 9pm and 5am.

Contractors will also use this closure for essential resurfacing work on SH1 on Vivian Street, between Willis Street and Cuba Street. 

The resurfacing work will require lane closures on Willis Street and Victoria Street. On one night there will be a full closure of Victoria Street, between Abel Smith Street and Ghuznee Street. 

There will also be a Stop/Hold in place one night at the Vivian Street and Cuba Street intersection. Drivers can expect delays travelling in this part of the city. 

To get this essential work done quickly, contractors will be working at night and, though roadworks can be noisy, they will aim to keep noise to a minimum. 

Southbound traffic will be directed off SH1 via The Terrace, Ghuznee Street, Taranaki Street and back onto SH1. Northbound traffic will be directed off SH1 via Willis Street, Ghuznee Street, The Terrace, and back onto SH1. Follow the sign posted detours when travelling. 

Similar work for the Mount Victoria Tunnel is currently scheduled to be done in March. Updates on timing will be shared when details are confirmed.

IVECO and PlusAI launch new Level 4 Autonomous Driving programme in Spain. 

IVECO, the brand of Iveco Group N.V. that designs, manufactures and markets light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, announces a new programme with long-standing partner PlusAI, a global leader in AI-based virtual driver software for autonomous trucks. The two companies plan to launch the first deployment in Southern Europe of heavy-duty trucks with Level 4 Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS), working in cooperation with Spanish logistics operator Sesé and the Government of Aragon, Spain.

Under the programme, IVECO and PlusAI will develop two heavy-duty trucks equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities powered by the PlusAI SuperDrive™ virtual driver. The autonomous trucks will undergo multi-year testing starting in 2026 with a safety operator on board throughout the entire trial period. These IVECO S-Way heavy-duty vehicles are targeted to operate autonomously on freight routes for Sesé, travelling between Madrid and Zaragoza, the capital of the Aragon region, along a freight corridor measuring approximately 300 km (184 miles).

Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, Iveco Group, commented: “Vehicle automation is a key pillar of Iveco Group’s technology strategy. We are thrilled to reinforce our strong partnership with PlusAI to further innovate our ADAS and ADS technologies on board IVECO trucks. This project will take us forward on our journey to offer customers the highest quality technology for increasingly sustainable transport.” 

“Autonomous trucks are a transformative technology that could dramatically improve road safety and reshape commercial freight transportation around the world. We are proud to extend our partnership with IVECO to cover Level 4 autonomous trucking operations in Germany and Spain,” said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-Founder of PlusAI. “Together with Sesé, we’re demonstrating how autonomous driving technology can improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of trucking, and strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s supply chains.”

Iveco Group has been researching and developing autonomous and connected driving solutions for years, including conducting joint testing and pilots with PlusAI on highly advanced Level 2+ and Level 4 programmes, to deliver safer, cleaner, smarter and more efficient transport solutions. PlusAI is moving into its next phase of growth as a publicly traded company via its previously announced business combination with Churchill Capital Corp IX.