Waikato & Bay of Plenty state highway works January 2025

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State Highway 1 (SH1) Desert Road is now closed for the next 2 months between Tūrangi and Waiouru for a large programme of work that includes reconstructing 16 lane kilometres of road, improving drainage, and clearing about 15km of road shoulder. During this period, the deck of the Mangatoetoenui Bridge will also be replaced.

Andy Oakley, Waikato System Manger for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says the programme of work for SH1 is ambitious, full closures allow the work to be completed efficiently and safely. 

“Along with the Tīrau to Waiouru accelerated project, we have a closure of SH1 at Karāpiro, south of Cambridge, for 4 days next week starting at midnight on Sunday 19 January.   

“Our crews are working as quickly as possible to complete all the work on SH1. We understand people can get frustrated when using the alternative routes around the works, but this is a reminder to please be patient and prepare for a journey that may be longer than anticipated. Plan ahead accordingly.  

“We encourage people to use the NZTA Journey Planner, it’s the best tool to use on the day of travel, as this provides real-time updates on worksites and other road hazards on the network,” says Mr Oakley.

Journey Planner(external link)

Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works as at 17 January 2025 [PDF, 240 KB]

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