From Tuesday 23 February 2021, there will be a new road layout for traffic north of the Johnstone Hill Tunnels. Realignment of the northbound lane means traffic will be running adjacent to the southbound side of SH1.

The Johnstone Hill Tunnels will remain open in both directions and access to the Hibiscus Coast Highway free route will remain available following the changes.

The road layout changes will be formed over a period of two nights on Sunday 21 February and Monday 22 February 2021 from 9.00pm – 5.00am. Once the new road layout is in place, works will continue for a further three nights from Tuesday 23 February to Thursday 25 February 2021, this will enable us to complete the Hibiscus Coast Highway tie-in works.

Stop/go traffic management will be in place on SH1 north of the tunnels while these night works take place.

The tunnels area can be a traffic bottleneck, especially on public holidays so we’re making these changes after Waitangi weekend to avoid further delays.”

These changes will ensure crews have a safe working area while they progress the works at the northern end of the tunnels which will eventually connect it to the new motorway.

“Safety is our highest priority, and the reduced speed limit of 60km/h will remain in place for the duration of the works. While we will try to limit disruption to traffic flows, road users should plan ahead and allow more time for their journey,” says Northern Express Group (NX2) CEO Vicente Valencia.

“We ask that drivers keep to the temporary speed limit for the safety of our work crews and road users, drive to the conditions and don’t be distracted by work activity.”

The latest road layout changes are part of a staged sequence of work to seamlessly connect SH1 to the new 4 lane motorway under construction.

When it opens 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.

NX2 would like to thank drivers for their patience and understanding during this time.

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