Southern Connection

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Although the motorway is now open, we still have work underway at the Southern Connection.

Please check the information and schedules below regularly for any changes so you can plan ahead to avoid congestion.

Information and schedule for completion works at the Southern Connection:


Pūhoi Southbound on-ramp closure and Northbound off-ramp closure

Now that the motorway is open to traffic, there will be ongoing work for a number of months to fully complete the project. This includes work on the Pūhoi southbound on ramp, Puhoi northbound offramp, cyclone related slip repairs, seasonal planting, landscaping, artwork installation, and site demobilisation and land reinstatement.

Most of this work will take place off the main motorway alignment and have minimal to no impact on the road users.

The most significant work that needs to take place is to the Pūhoi on and off-ramp.  These works can’t be completed until the motorway opens and are necessary to complete the construction of the ramps, which were opened in 2021 for temporary use so that the team could construct the new motorway and connect it to the existing Johnstones Hill Tunnels.

Once the on and off ramps works are complete and open to the public, there will still be some work to be completed on the ‘Old SH1’ and Pūhoi Road.  This work will be done under stop/go, for around two weeks.  Four weeks after this has been completed the team will be back to carry out the final thermoplastic lining.

All works broken down below:

Activity

Dates & Times

Impacts

Completion of the Pūhoi southbound on ramp



Opening date TBC


24/7


Full closure of the southbound on ramp


Pūhoi residents, residents south of Moir Hill Road, and southbound traffic from ‘old SH1’ will not be able to access the southbound on-ramp during the construction period and motorists travelling south from Pūhoi will be detoured via the free route on Hibiscus Coast Highway while we complete this work.

Final surfacing on old ‘SH1’ and Pūhoi Road

Approximately 1-2 weeks once the SB on ramp is open


Stop/go traffic management

Thermoplastic lining

TBC - Starts 4 weeks after the last of the final road surfacing is complete

Closure of Pūhoi SB on ramp and NB off ramp

Stop/Go on Pūhoi Road and old ‘SH1’

* exact dates will be updated when information available

Some of the work  is highly weather dependent and can’t be done in the rain or if the ground temperature is too cold, which affects the laying of asphalt, and it is likely there will be nights where we can’t work.  The team have allowed for some contingency, however if there is significant rain or cold weather during these dates, the work will need to be pushed out to the next fine night. 

To keep up to date with the closures, please check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before heading out https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/

We fully appreciate this will be inconvenient especially for those living in these areas.  We would like to thank the community for their patience, while we complete the last major step required to provide access to the new motorway and smoother ride for journeys to and from Pūhoi. 

If you have any queries about the construction works, the stakeholder and communications team will still be available on 0508 P2WK INFO or info@nx2group.com.

If you have any questions about the operations and maintenance of the new road, please contact 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

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  • Motorist travelling north can use the left lane to exit off to Pūhoi or to connect into the ‘old SH1’. As part of the 'revocation' process to make SH1 a local road, it will lose its classification as a state highway and will be renamed. It can no longer be called a state highway for address and identification purposes. This process will be managed by Auckland Transport. You can find out more about the revocation process here[RH1]  (https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/ara-tuhono-puhoi-to-warkworth/making-sh1-a-local-road/)
  • Motorists travelling north to Te Tai Tokerau Northland or Warkworth carry on north to the Pukerito (Northern Connection) roundabout.
  • Motorists travelling north from Pūhoi village to Warkworth or south from the Warkworth township to Pūhoi, will use the old SH1.
  • There are works required to complete the southbound on-ramp at Pūhoi once the motorway open, once completed motorists travelling south from Pūhoi can join the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway at the southbound on-ramp[RH2] .