Major Upgrade Completed on SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru with 128 Lane Km Rehabilitated

Critical sections of State Highway 1 (SH1) between Tīrau and Waiouru have had a major upgrade, with 128 lane kilometres of the North Island’s backbone now rehabilitated or resealed, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.

The SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance programme condensed four seasons of road maintenance into just two, improving the quality, safety and longevity of some of the most travelled and in-need-of-repair sections of SH1 in Waikato, Mr Bishop says.

Prior to this project, something of this magnitude has never been attempted on our state highways, especially the block road closures of SH1 that were necessary to deliver intensive road rebuilding in the shortest possible time, Mr Bishop says.

The project’s completion on schedule is a testament to forward thinking and a huge amount of focused work, which benefits everyone, from our freight and tourism industries, to all those travelling, working and living in this region.

The project was funded by the Government’s $2.07 billion State Highway Pothole Prevention fund and means 27 per cent of the 220km corridor has been significantly upgraded, also accounting for future traffic growth.

Between July 2022 and April 2024, 5,670 potholes were repaired on SH1 between Piarere (the SH1/SH29 intersection) and Waiouru (the SH1/SH49 intersection). Many parts of this route required urgent attention and an alternative approach to patching up potholes and rebuilding short pieces of road.

In designing this ambitious programme, all upcoming rebuilds and asphalt work planned for the 2024–2027 period and rebuild and structural asphalt sites planned for 2027–2030 were brought together and prioritised.

The completed work delivers a safer and smoother journey between Tīrau and Waiouru for all road users.

Notes to editor: The SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance project has seen: 128.6 lane kms* completed, including: 56.8 lane kms of foam bitumen stabilising, on top of which 46.2 lane kms of thin asphalt concrete was installed 26.6 lane kms of structural asphalt concrete 45.2 lane kms of resurfacing, of which 40.7 lane kms is chipseal and 4.5 lane kms is a thin asphalt concrete layer 198,366 tonnes of aggregate used 106,560 tonnes of asphalt used 10km of subsoil installed and 7kms of kerb and channel 5km of barriers installed 35 contracting firms on the go at once 470,000 roadcrew hours clocked Zero time lost due to injuries.

* Rather than simply the distance between points A and B, lane kilometres count the number of lanes on a road. This provides a more accurate picture of the work delivered, as it incorporates elements such as passing lanes.