Severe weather has caused yet another slip on Northland’s main route to Auckland, while a long-term replacement for the failing highway remains up in the air.
State Highway 1 is open in both directions between Whangārei and Auckland, but motorists are asked to drive with care through the Brynderwyn Hills due to ongoing slip work.
The Brynderwyns, about 50km south of Whangārei, is an unreliable link between Northland and the rest of the country.
Since the end of January, it has been closed on and off due to ongoing slips, including taking more than six weeks for both lanes to open after Cyclone Gabrielle.
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During closures, light traffic had been diverted through the villages of Mangawhai and Waipū, while heavy trucks have had to make a 130km detour through Dargaville.
Continued wet weather has created a new slip – a minor underslip, where the ground beneath the road gives way – a Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) spokesperson said.
Supplied
Slips on State Highway 1 at Brynderwyn Hills include this major slip near the waterfall caused during Cyclone Gabrielle. (File photo)
“The road remains open in both directions however it is still an active work site. We ask motorists to slow down and drive to the conditions to keep our crews safe.”
Crews also continue to work on other, bigger slips caused during the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, with stormwater drainage being upgraded at the same time, the spokesperson said.
The continued closures are testing the resilience of Te Tai Tokerau businesses, Northland Inc chief executive Paul Linton said.
“We have a primary industry that’s under stress and, when you think about it, just getting their goods to Auckland is not only stretching their logistics but also their income.
Denise Piper/Stuff
Northland remains open to visitors but motorists need to drive safely, says Northland Inc chief executive Paul Linton. (File photo)
“Also goods and services coming north is impacted.”
The closures and uncertainty can also put off visitors coming into Northland, where tourism contributes 4.4% to the region’s economy.
With the Northland Auckland Rail Line also closed by slips, Linton said SH1 is the lifeblood of the region.
Transport Minister David Parker agreed SH1 is a “critical link” for communities in Northland.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
While Transport Minister David Parker agrees SH1 is critical for Northlanders, he would not commit to a highway from Te Hana to Whangārei. (File photo)
As of May 2023, Waka Kotahi has spent at least $17m to reopen and stabilise state highways in Northland.
This does not include SH1 at Mangamuka Gorge near Kaitaia, which has been permanently closed since August 2022 but is undergoing a $100m fix.
Parker said Waka Kotahi is investigating options which support the long-term resilience of the entire network in Northland.
A business case for a Te Hana to Whangārei highway, including bypass of the Brynderwyns, is expected to take 18 months to complete, he said.
A four-lane upgrade to the highway south of Whangārei was first announced by the National-led Government in 2017.
The four-laning was scrapped by the Labour-led Government in 2018, although improvements to the highway were promised.
The project was put on the table again as part of Labour’s $12 billion infrastructure package in 2020, then scrapped in favour of a rail connection in 2021.
