aka More delays…

SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru maintenance update

23 February 2026

In this issue: What’s happening on T2WSH1 Desert Road – are we there yet? Five-Mile Bay – plus two  Hooray for Hatepe Hill Let’s all get home safe.

	What’s happening on T2W? We’ve lost 40-plus shifts to weather since the second and final season of the State Highway 1 (SH1) Tīrau to Waioruru Accelerated Maintenance project (T2W) began in September – but the great news is that despite that, more than 84 percent of the work is now done and dusted. Weather and other unforeseen circumstances permitting, here’s what’s scheduled to be ticked off in the coming weeks. SH1 Desert Road – The overnight closures that are currently underway to allow for final surfacing work are scheduled to continue until early March, on Sunday to Thursday nights, between 7pm and 6am. See below for more information and the detour map. Please note that roadwork additional to T2W is also programmed for this area. Tokoroa township, southern end – Work began here on Tuesday 10 February on SH1/Mossop Road and at the intersection of SH1/SH32, and is scheduled to continue until tomorrow night (Tuesday 24 February), between 7pm and 6am, under stop/go traffic management.  East Taupō Arterial – Two nights of chipsealing should be completed tonight (Monday 23 February) from 7pm to 6am, under stop/go traffic management. This will be followed by 3 nights of asphalting under stop/go, from Tuesday 24 February to Thursday 26 February, 7pm to 6am. Outside of these hours, temporary speed limits will be in place. Putāruru to Tokoroa – Enabling work for road rebuilding will be undertaken at the SH1/SH28 Whites Road intersection north of Putāruru for 4 night shifts, starting tonight (Monday 23 February). There will be a small break before a further 8 night shifts are needed to complete the asphalting. This work will be completed from Monday to Thursday, between 7pm and 6am, under stop/go traffic management. There’s additional maintenance and road rebuilding planned on SH28 itself and at the SH5/SH28 intersection, where road rebuilding is underway. The next steps in this area will be chipsealing and reinstating the concrete median island at the intersection. Currently, 24-hour traffic management is in place. Nightwork to complete the asphalting at the SH5/SH28 intersection is scheduled for Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 March, between 6pm and 6am, under stop/go traffic management. Ātiamuri to Wairakei – Chipsealing is planned for Tuesday 24 February near Tutukau Road, between 7pm and 6am, under stop/go traffic management. Outside of these working hours, the road will be open, with temporary speed restrictions throughout the work zone. Please note that roadwork additional to T2W is also programmed for this area. Taupō to Tūrangi – Overnight stop/go will be in place from mid- to late March to early April at the SH1/Kiko Road intersection, and from mid-April to early May on SH1 at Motuoapa. Additional to the T2W work at the SH1/Kiko Road intersection, a road rebuild is currently progressing on a 650m section of SH1 through Motuoapa and is scheduled to continue until Thursday 5 March. Traffic management is in place 24/7, but work is occurring only from 6am till 7pm, with one lane open at all times.

	SH1 Desert Road – are we there yet? Almost! Daytime chipsealing has now been completed between Oturere and Mangatoetoenui. After a delayed start due to the recent wild weather, final surfacing in the last 3 T2W locations on SH1 Desert Road – Mangamate (0.7km), Oturere Hill (1.7km) and Mangatoetoenui (1.1km) – began under overnight closures on Tuesday 17 February, and (weather permitting) the early March end date is in our sights.  We can’t safely accommodate asphalting machinery and stop/go traffic management on this stretch of road, so these closures are a necessary part of the process. The detour (map below) is via SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1 in Waiouru, and vice versa, an alternative route that adds approximately 35 minutes to journeys.Please note that while we’re under the pump getting this critical rebuilding work done, there’s other maintenance happening on this stretch of SH1 as well.Below: Action on the Desert Road last week, when the overnight closures began.

	Five-Mile Bay – plus 2In T2W Zone 7 (Taupō to Tūrangi), the work to widen SH1 at Waitahanui has successfully been ticked off. The result? Two new right-turning bays improving safety northbound and southbound, where SH1 meets Wairau Avenue and Pākira Place. Beginning in September, enabling and kerb-and-channel work was undertaken during the day, followed by asphalting at night – all under stop/go and lane shifts to keep everything moving as smoothly as possible. These photos show the before, during and after from various bird’s-eye viewpoints.

	Hooray for Hatepe Hill Just down the road from Waitahanui, 2.1km of state highway on Hatepe Hill has also had a glow-up. Night work rebuilt the passing lane, then new asphalt went down on top, all under stop/go and lane shifts to minimise disruption to road users. The before, during and after photos below show this SH1 mahi from go to whoa. Three cheers for another job well done!