- Roadworks on Loop Rd, on State Highway 1 south of Whangārei, began in March 2019.
- Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has apologised to road users, as a newly laid road will have to be replaced in spring.
- Residents fear the roadworks will never end, with heavy trucks constantly damaging the road surface.
Roadworks will continue on a busy section of Northland’s State Highway 1 for several more months, after a newly laid road surface needs to be replaced.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is asking motorists for their continued patience at the Loop Rd site, just south of Whangārei.
Work at the site began in March 2019 and was expected to be finished in 2021.
The work is now facing a further delay, after a newly laid road surface was found to not meet quality standards.
Ross Giblin/Stuff
The road surface will have to be redone, and that work cannot start until spring. (File photo)
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The problem – between the Loop Rd intersection and Lookout Hill – was first noticed in 2021, but the resurfacing now cannot be replaced until warmer, drier weather arrives in spring.
Meanwhile, Waka Kotahi finished applying a temporary seal to this part of the road last week, so it can be used until the permanent surface is laid. Road markings will be added during the next spell of suitable weather.
Regional manager Stephen Collett offered an apology to local residents and those who use this part of SH1 regularly.
Denise Piper/Stuff
SH1 south of Whangārei has had a restricted speed limit since 2018, and locals say traffic has only become worse.
“We understand locals and those who travel through the area will be frustrated to hear the repairs can’t take place until spring. However, we want to reassure people travelling through the area that we remain 100% committed to ensuring the final product is a safe, fit-for-purpose road.”
The road is used by 19,000 vehicles a day, 13% of which are heavy vehicles.
The road resurfacing will finish stage 1 of the project, which includes a new roundabout at Loop Rd catering for logging trucks.
But Portland resident Max Belcher fears the roadworks will continue without end, as trucks damage the road surface just as quickly as it can be repaired.
Denise Piper
Portland resident Max Belcher fears the roadworks on SH1 will continue forever. (File photo)
“[Waka Kotahi] say spring, but they haven’t said which spring. Every year they say it’s too wet, then it’s too dry, then it’s too hot or it’s too cold or it’s Christmas.”
The roadworks cause considerable congestion, which has become worse over the years as more people move to Whangārei and more development happens at the south of the town, he said.
In 2019, Waka Kotahi decided to reduce the speed limit in the area, from 100kph to 80kph, while the roadworks were going on.
Collett said the 100kph permanent speed limit will be reinstated once the roadworks have finished.
Belcher is also concerned how the final layout of the state highway will work for local residents like him, who will not be able to head north out of their road, and will instead have to do a U-turn further south.
UPDATE: This story has been updated with information from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency that the 100kph speed limit will be reinstated once the roadworks finish. (Amended June 21, 2022, 9am.)
