Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises that changes to the road layout on State Highway 1 just north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnels, will take effect tomorrow morning (Friday, 13 November), a week earlier than originally planned.

The road layout changes have been completed ahead of schedule over the last week. They will remain in place through the Christmas holiday period.

Realignment of the southbound lane means traffic will be running adjacent to the northbound side of SH1 before returning to the southbound lanes entering the tunnel. This will allow traffic to move freely through both tunnels while creating a safe working area for contractors.

“We ask motorists to allow extra time for their journeys, avoid peak travel times if possible and keep to the temporary speed limit for the safety of our work crews. Drive to the conditions and don’t be distracted by work activity,” says Waka Kotahi Senior Manager Project Delivery Andrew Thackwray.

The changes are the latest in a staged sequence of work to connect SH1 to the new Ara Tūhono - Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway under construction north of the Johnstones Hill tunnels. There will be changes to the alignment of SH1 and new lanes added before the motorway is due to open in mid - May 2022.

The new Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstones Hill tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It will vastly improve the safety, connectivity and resilience of the transport network between Northland and Auckland, helping to boost the economic potential of the Northland region.

For more about Ara Tūhono -Pūhoi to Warkworth, see https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/ara-tuhono-puhoi-to-warkworth/

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