Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Drivers on the Waikato Expressway are advised to plan ahead for three months of roadworks on State Highway 1C the Te Rapa section of the Waikato Expressway beginning after Easter.
All six kilometres of the Te Rapa section from the Te Wetini Dr/Wairere Dr overbridge near Wintec through to the Horotiu Interchange will have the existing road surface overlaid with a new layer of structural asphalt.
“Once completed the Te Rapa section of the Expressway will have a smoother and more durable surface for that vital connection from Hamilton to the north,” says Jo Wilton, Regional Manager Infrastructure Delivery for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
Work will begin with the southernmost part of the Te Rapa section in the week after Easter, with night closures and detours to allow crews to work in the single-laned piece of road.
The nights of work are Tuesday night to Thursday night in the week after Easter then Sunday night until Thursday night, with the night work expected to be complete by Thursday 18 April. The road will be shut between 8pm and 6am when work is taking place, with the northbound lanes scheduled to be done first, followed by the southbound lanes.
While the Te Rapa section is closed the detour between the Horotiu Interchange and SH1C Mangaharakeke Drive will be via Wairere Drive and Te Rapa Road.
Once the single-laned section is complete crews will move into the double-laned section. This will be done during the day with lane closures, traffic shifts and temporary speed limits in place.
Anyone planning to drive on the Te Rapa section over the next few months is advised to check journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link) for the latest traffic and travel information.
The project is due to be complete by the end of June 2024.
