Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
State highways in the Taupō area will be repaired and resealed during coming months, as the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency spring/summer road maintenance programme gets underway locally from next week.
Waikato System Manager Cara Lauder says Waka Kotahi will be delivering a large amount of roadworks in the area this season to improve the roads, increase safety and make people’s journeys more enjoyable.
“Warmer spring and summer months are the best time for resurfacing as daylight hours are longer and the warm temperatures and dry air help the new seal stick to the road surface.”
Work will begin next week to replace the road surface on State Highway 5 between Rotorua and Taupō at Dicks Hill and on State Highway 32 at Whakamaru. Both sites will have Stop/Go traffic management and a 30km/h temporary speed limit in place.
Area-wide treatments on SH1 at Puriri West, between Lichfield and Tokoroa are also planned to start next week. Contractors will make use of the passing lane in this area to move traffic onto different lanes to keep it moving through the road works with minimal disruption.
A northbound detour using Wiltdown Road and Old Taupō Road will be in place on SH1 at Eketone in the Lichfield area while our contractors undertake work to rebuild the road, which also gets underway from next week. There is a separate detour for heavy vehicles, using SH32 and Old Taupō Road.
Motorists can also expect road works on SH1 at Korohe, between Taupō and Turangi, from late-October.
The above works are expected to be completed by mid-November, subject to weather and any other unexpected delays.
“While we try to keep inconvenience and delays to a minimum, we urge people to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.
“We want to keep everyone safe when driving through road work sites, and that includes our road workers. Please slow down, leave space and be patient through road works.”
Despite the significant roadworks programme, work will stop during busy holiday travel periods such as Labour weekend, Christmas and New Year to minimise disruption to people’s journeys.
“Looking further ahead, there will be other substantial road works across the Taupō area in coming months to ensure the state highway network is up to standard and able to safely connect people and places and efficiently move freight to markets.”
This season our contractors plan to lay more than 87km of new chipseal in the Taupō area. Works will include SH1 south of Turangi and State Highway 47 and State Highway 49, as well as significant sites on SH1 and SH32 around Tokoroa, and some key stretches of SH5 between Tirau and Rotorua.
New asphalt will be laid at several sites including SH5 Napier-Taupō, working north, and intersections such as SH1/State Highway 30 at Atiamuri and the SH1 Wairakei roundabout.
Road users are encouraged to check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on roadworks, traffic, delays, road closures and detour routes to help them plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey.
Journey Planner(external link)
Tips for driving on freshly laid chip seal
- 30km is okay. Leave space
- 50km is too fast = Damage
- 10km is too slow = The road will stick to you
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