A second key access point for construction traffic working on the Puhoi-Warkworth motorway starts this month.
The site access point, ‘SAP7’, is on State Highway 1 at Watson Road, a forestry road south of Mahurangi West Road. This will be the main access for construction traffic into the southern sector of the project, the NZ Transport Agency says.
It will involve closing the southbound passing lane for the entire construction period to create space for a safe right-turn bay, wide median and a wider shoulder.
Closing the passing lane will enable construction traffic to enter and exit SH1 safely with the least amount of disruption to other road users, Northern Express Group (NX2) chief executive officer Ray Wilson says.
“Protecting the safety of project workers as well as all those who use SH1 is a top priority for the agency and NX2, and so closing the passing lane is an essential part of these works.”
Access works should take six to eight weeks. Temporary traffic management applies, along with a 70kmh restriction.
For safety, some of the work will be done overnight between 9pm and 5am when traffic volumes are lower.
Work on the Puhoi-Wellsford road of national significance started on December 2016. It’s a key transport link connecting Northland to the rest of the Upper North Island, helping move people and freight between major centres more safely and efficiently, the NZTA says.
The project extends the northern motorway to four lanes for 18.5km north from the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnels at Puhoi to a tie-in with the existing SH1 north of Warkworth. It is expected to open to traffic by late 2021.
Visit nzta.govt.nz/traffic for more.
