Improvements to the SH1 and Loop Road intersection to make it safer and easier to use. This is part of the important strategic link between Auckland and Whangārei.
Northlanders can expect to see more activity beside the Loop Road roundabout as we begin construction of Stage 2 of the Loop Road Safety Improvements project on Monday 6 March 2023.
We have awarded the construction contract to Oxcon CLL who will construct a southbound taper lane and southbound bridge over the Otaika Stream to accommodate a safe merging distance from the newly completed dual lane roundabout.
If you’re driving through the area before then, you may see some work happening beside the state highway and this is part of site establishment with mowing, fencing off the work area, surveying and installing environmental and sediment controls.
We acknowledge there were numerous delays throughout the first stage of the project, which did cause an inconvenience for residents and people travelling through the area.
During Stage 2, it will only be the taper lane ‘tie-ins’ at the roundabout and south of Otaika Stream that will need traffic management, and these won’t be built until later in construction.
The new bridge will be constructed to the east of the existing bridge and built to new design standards that take climate change and sea level rise into consideration. This means it will be approximately 1.8 metres higher than the existing bridge on SH1, which will be retained for northbound traffic.
Completion for the Loop Road Safety Improvements project is planned for late-2024.
Loop Road is the southern portion of an ‘inland freight route’, which crosses SH1 south of Whangārei. The intersection with the state highway is a critical connection for the Northland forestry sector on the journey to and from Northport at Marsden Point, where logs are sent for export.
At this location, SH1 is carrying approximately 19,000 vehicles per day. A high percentage is heavy freight traffic (13%), collecting a significant portion of forestry traffic in Northland. With increasing traffic volumes in a high speed environment, there is a growing safety risk and operational delays for freight traffic at this location.
Safety improvements to the SH1/SH15 Loop Road intersection and the SH1/Portland Road intersection will ensure communities, visitors and freight travel safely across the state highway network south of Whangārei.
A two lane roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of SH15 Loop Road (North) and SH1.
As part of constructing a two-lane roundabout, a second bridge will be built alongside the existing bridge to accommodate two lanes of southbound traffic. State highway traffic will merge back into a single southbound lane before the upgraded Portland Road intersection.
The new bridge will be built to current design standards which means it will be approximately 1.8 metres higher than the existing bridge on SH1. This also means the new southbound lanes will be higher (than the existing road) on the approaches to the bridge. The existing road will carry northbound vehicles only and, due to the height difference, a centre median barrier will be installed to stop vehicles from crossing the centreline.
The project will also provide an improved Portland Road intersection with road widening to support safe right turns and a left turn slip lane into Portland Road. A turnaround facility will be constructed on Portland Road to enable vehicles exiting Oaks Road to make a safe right turn movement at Portland Road.
The intersection of Otaika Valley Road (SH15) and Loop Road (South) will also be improved to assign intersection priority to SH15 users.
As part of the safety improvements, the intersection of Loop Road (South) and SH1 will be closed to vehicles.
A flexible wire barrier will be installed across the SH1/Loop Road (South) intersection with access provided for pedestrians and cyclists only.
The barrier design allows for removal in the event the intersection needs to be reopened as a state highway detour route under emergency traffic management.
The project includes improved stormwater management and a widened culvert south of Portland Road with new culvert and sediment retention ponds north of the roundabout.
Artist impressions for communications purposes only. Not drawn to scale.
Implementation of this project is included in the National Land Transport Programme 2018–21
