Final works for SH1 Tirau roundabout: expect delays

Traffic will be down to a single lane at times while work is done to connect a new roundabout to State Highways 1 and 5 at Tirau.

Work starts on Monday 15 September, weather permitting, and is likely to run until early December.

The final stage tie-in work will see a 30km/h speed restriction through the site, with traffic down to a single lane during working hours with stop-go traffic management. Traffic will revert to two lanes outside work hours.

Motorists can expect delays and are asked to take care approaching the site from the north, south and from SH5 (from Rotorua) and to be prepared for a changing layout as work progresses.

The roundabout will be in full use in early December. It will replace the T-intersection where SH5 meets SH1 – the scene of five deaths and numerous other serious crashes in the past six years. Around 12,000 vehicles a day use the route.

Tangata whenua for the Tirau area, Raukawa, will unveil and bless a 7m high Hinuera stone monolith within the new roundabout on Saturday, 13 September. The monolith and other design features within the works area express the Raukawa connection to Tirau and the broader area.

The roundabout also features two pin oak trees planted to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Tirau Reserve on her 1953-54 tour.

The Tirau roundabout is one of several projects under way in the Waikato region.

For personalised information about driving conditions on their frequently used routes, motorists can check out and sign up to On The Move at www.onthemove.govt.nz.

For real time information on highway conditions and incidents visit www.nzta.govt.nz, call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS or follow @nztawaibop on twitter.

ENDS

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