Safety improvements on target between Cambridge and Piarere

There has been excellent progress on the turnaround bays being constructed as part of improvements to SH1 between Cambridge and Piarere.

With the finishing touches now being applied to the turnarounds at Gorton and Tunakawa Rds, installation of a flexible median barrier can begin.

From Tuesday this week, the installation of a median barrier in sections from south of Mobil Karāpiro through to Fergusson Gully Rd got underway. This work will occur overnight on weeknights until Friday morning, April 12 - weather permitting. Motorists should expect delays as there will be periods of alternating stop/go traffic management.

This work, coupled with the median barrier preparation and installation continuing south between Keeley’s Reserve and Moana Roa Rd, will take the amount of median barrier installed between Cambridge and Piarere to just under 10km. Just a small section from the end of the

Waikato Expressway will remain.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi regional manager for infrastructure delivery Jo Wilton said completing this section of the Cambridge to Piarere safety improvements will be a key milestone for the project.

“The turnarounds, coupled with the installation of a median barrier, will be a big step towards preventing further deaths and serious injuries.

“As well as saving lives and preventing crash trauma, the safety upgrades will result in fewer serious crashes which will mean the highway is more efficient, with fewer closures required. Each crash has the potential to impact highway traffic flow for up to several hours.”

Wilton explained that once the median barrier is installed, drivers will need to make use of the new turnaround bays to change direction.

“We appreciate this means a change to the way you use the road, and we acknowledge the changes may be inconvenient for some people, however, the work we are doing is proven to save lives and reduce the risk of crashes.

“The community support for improvements on this section of SH1 has been very good, and we thank everyone for this support and understanding so far and for the remainder of this work.”

This section is expected to be completed by mid-April 2024.

For more on the project, visit the SH1 Cambridge and Piarere page.