��һ�ǿ�����

The critical highway linking Auckland and Northland will still be closed this weekend as Waka Kotahi announces it won’t open until early next week.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said crews have worked hard to clear truckloads of material from SH1 Dome Valley overnight.

The road will need to remain closed today and over the weekend due to the conditions and it being too unsafe for crews to carry out work next to live traffic, Waka Kotahi said.

It follows two other closures already this year due to slips - one in February after Cyclone Gabrielle lasting 76 days.

The crews are building a 40-metre debris wall to prevent future loose material from falling on to the road.

The wall will require 30 piles and will be drilled alongside the section of the road to ensure it is resilient to future weather events.

Nearly $80 million has been spent as part of a safety improvement programme on the notorious Dome Valley section north of Auckland since 2019 but none of it was related to increasing resilience to future weather events, 

Waka Kotahi anticipates that the road will reopen in both directions early next week, once these works have been completed, but this will be subject to weather conditions.

Waka Kotahi regional manager of maintenance and operations Jacqui Hori-Hoult said safety is always the number one priority.

“Over the next few days our teams will be taking advantage of the closure to improve resilience along this stetch of road, proactively improving stormwater drainage.

“This will help to ensure that when the next weather event hits, this section is able to withstand some of the impacts.

“With school holidays about to begin we are asking families to allow more time to travel and please follow the official detours if you are heading away.

“Plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey and utilise the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner for the latest information on road closures.”

The section of State Highway 1 at Dome Valley which is closed. Photo / Supplied

The official detour route is:

• Northbound: From Pukerito Roundabout, right to Old SH1 through Warkworth, right to Woodcocks Rd, on to West Coast Rd, right to SH16.
• Southbound: In the opposite direction from SH16 in Wellsford to Warkworth.
• Alternatively, motorists can utilise SH16 which runs all the way from Wellsford to Auckland.