With plans afoot for the Christmas and New Year break, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is pausing state highway works across Northland to help keep holiday journeys (and sleigh rides) smooth.

“While Santa gears up for his biggest night of the year, road crews will be taking awell-earnedbreak torecharge and prepare for a busystart to 2026.Our teams will return in January ready to continue important improvements across Northland,”Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Jacqui Hori-Hoult says.

This year’sannual holiday shutdown is frommidday Friday 19 December 2025to 11.59pm Sunday 4 January.

“Christmas isall about connecting with whānau, friends andenjoyingsummer plans. Pausing most works helps keep traffic flowingso people can get where they need to go.”

Tis the season for spreading joy, so we’re sharing the great news that several major maintenance and recovery sites have madegood progressheading into December.

• SH1MangamukaGorge– slip A43repair: Work is well underwaytoinstall a new48m retaining wall,followinganunderslipin Septemberon the southern side of the gorge.Enablingwork iscomplete, and thepermanentpileswill be installed in the new year.Stop/gowill remainin place 24/7 until mid-December, with the road then fully open totwo lanesoverthe Christmas/New Year period. Stop/go will returnin early January 2026 when construction on the permanent retaining wall resumes, with completion expected by late May2026.
• SH1 Long Hill,Waiomio– slip repairs:Excavation is progressing well, and the site will be secure for the holidays. A safety barrier will remain in place over the period, which means the south boundcrawler(left-hand)lanein the passing area will stay closed. Works pause on 18 December and resume 5 January, with project completion expected by early March2026.
• SH10betweenOromāhoeRoad andPorotuRoad – road rebuild:Enabling (drainage) works continueuntil12December. All temporary traffic management will beliftedfor the Christmas/New Yearperiod andwill be reinstatedfrom early January. Roadrebuildis scheduled through to 5 February 2026.

“While everyone’s hoping for sunshine and beach days these holidays, persistent wet weatherin spring and early summerhas had an impact on road sealing days, and in some areas, sealing will need to now take place in early 2026,” Ms Hori-Hoult says.

Dry conditions are essential for sealing to ensure proper adhesion and long-lasting results. Sites along SH1 will be a focus early next year as crewswork to complete delayed renewals.These include:

• SH1 nearRuakakaresealing (4 nights)
• SH1Brynderwyns– Kaiwaka –Topuniresealing(2 weeks)

Additional renewal sites across Northland/North Auckland, including SH1 Whangārei central and south, SH16 near Inland Road, SH10 Mangōnui, SH12 Ruawai, SH14 Tangowahine, and SH1 Kaiwaka and south of Wellsford, are expected to begin in January as the summer programme ramps up. There will be more informationin the new year.

In the meantime, with more people on the roads over the holidays, NZTA encourages everyone toplan aheadand drive with care.

“Don’t letfatigueor impatiencetake the joy out ofChristmas,” says Ms Hori-Hoult.

“Check navigation apps and NZTA Journey Plannerbefore you leave, allow extra time, and take breaks ifyou’refeeling tired.Let’sall do our part to keep the season bright and the roads safe.”

We also have a special holiday addition of our Journey Planner, which shows the traditionally busiest times on the highways, in case you can plan travel outside of these time and avoid the queues:

Summer holidays 2025 | NZTA Journey Planner [https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/holiday-journeys/summer-holidays-2025]

Tryingto ‘make up lost time’ by speeding or unsafe overtaking puts everyoneusing the roadat risk.

“Please pack some patience along with the presents. A calm, careful trip is the best gift you can give yourself and others on the road.”

Top tips for a safer trip:

• Plan ahead– usetheNZTA Journey Planner
• Allowplenty of timeand expect delays at peak travel periods
• Drive to the conditions–whetherit’stheweather,the road, thetraffic,or the time of day
• Take breaks–share the driving and stop regularly
• Avoid distractionsand put the phone away
• Buckle up–every trip, every seat
• Be patient–you’reon holiday,there’sno need to exceed the speed limit
• Check your vehicleis safe to drivebefore travelling–tyres,brakes,wipers, lights,indicators,coolingsystemand WOF.A quick check can keep you and your whānausafe andalso save you money with better fuel efficiency.

© Scoop Media