SH1 Dome Valley Improvements
Enhancing Road Safety
The NZ Transport Agency engaged an alliance made up of NCC, BECA and BBO to undertake significant efforts to improve safety along SH1 in Dome Valley, as part of the Road to Zero programme, which aimed to prevent deaths and serious injuries on high-risk state highways and local roads.
Commencing in September 2019, this project targeted a 12km stretch of road between Wellsford and Warkworth, delivering crucial safety interventions. Improvements included widening the centreline and roadside shoulders, adding right-hand turn bays, and installing flexible road safety barriers.
This section of SH1 had a troubling safety record, with seven fatalities and more than 30 serious injuries in the past five years. The NZ Transport Agency was committed to the principle that no deaths or serious injuries on our transport network are acceptable, and making this road safer was a key measure to save lives.
Project Overview
A critical road link to the far north with more than 10,000 vehicles travel through Dome Valley daily, enhancing safety was a critical priority. The project was executed in four stages, with all stages completed by Spring 2022.
The scope of work involved several key safety improvements, including the installation of flexible median safety barriers to prevent head-on collisions and the widening of the centerline to increase the distance between oncoming traffic. The road shoulders throughout Dome Valley were widened, providing safer areas for vehicles to pull over when needed. New right-turn bays were added at L Phillips Road/Sheepworld and the Top of the Dome rest area, enhancing safety for turning vehicles. Additionally, the northbound and southbound passing lanes at the top of Dome Valley were replaced with wider shoulders, allowing slower vehicles to pull over safely.
Also Implemented were stormwater / ecological enhanced treatment areas (ETA) to manage road runoff and provide environmental benefits to the runoff entering the Hōteo river.
LOCATION: SH1 / Wellsford to Warkworth
CLIENT: NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi)
CONSULTANT: NCC / BECA / BBO
CONTRACTOR: Higgins
KEY SERVICES:
Team Lead Delivery (ECI)
Planning
Design-Build Contract
Geotechnical Design
Structural Design
Utility Design
Pavement Design
Road Design
Stormwater Design
Landscaping
Site Supervision
MSQA
Communications & Engagement