Length:

2014 km (Cape Rēinga to Miramar: 1078 km) (Picton to Bluff: 936 km)

Termini:

Northern:
(North Island) Cape Rēinga Rd (unnumbered), Cape Rēinga

Southern:
(North Island) Broadway (unnumbered) and Stewart Duff Dr (unnumbered), Miramar

Miscellaneous:

Route includes: (North Island) Cape Rēinga Road, Far North Road, North Road, Matthews Avenue, South Road, Main Road, Gillies Street, Queen Street, Waro Drive, Great North Road, Te Rauponga (Kamo Bypass), Western Hills Drive, Ōtaika Road, Waipū Bypass, Rodney Street, Northern Gateway Toll Road, Auckland-Waiwera Motorway, Northern Motorway, Southern Motorway, Waikato Expressway, Tīrau Road, Main Road, Tīrau Street, Taupō Street, Main Road, Eastern Taupō Arterial (Taupō Bypass), Desert Road, Mataroa Road, Hautapu Street, Mangawharariki Road, Pōurewa Road, Milne Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Dundas Road, Wellington Road, Russell Street, Johnston Street, Levin Road, The Avenue, Oxford Street, Main South Road, Kāpiti Expressway, Te Ara Nui o Rangihaeata (Transmission Gully Motorway), Johnsonville-Porirua Motorway, Centennial Highway, Wellington Urban Motorway, Vivian Street, Karo Drive, Arthur Street, Buckle Street, Kent Terrace, Dufferin Street, Rugby Street, Sussex Street, Paterson Street, Mount Victoria Tunnel, Taurima Street, Ruahine Street, Wellington Road, Cobham Drive and Calabar Road

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

(North Island) Cape Rēinga, Te Kāo, Ngātaki, Pukenui, Waiharara, Waipapakauri, Awanui, Kaitāia, Pāmāpūria, Victoria Valley, Māngamuka, Māngamuka Bridge, Rangiahua, Moerewa, Kawakawa, Ākerama, Waro, Whangārei, Ōtaika, Brynderwyn, Pukekaroro, Kaiwaka, Wellsford, Warkworth, Pohuehue, North Shore, Auckland, Manukau, Mercer, Meremere, Rangiriri, Hamilton, Tīrau, Pūtāruru, Tokoroa, Taupō, Waiōuru, Taihape, Bulls, Levin, Ōtaki, Paraparaumu, Porirua, Wellington and Miramar

(South Island) Picton, Blenheim, Kaikōura, Cheviot, Greta Valley, Amberley, Woodend, Christchurch, Templeton, Rolleston, Burnham, Rakaia, Ashburton, Tinwald, Temuka, Timaru, Ōamaru, Palmerston, Waikouaiti, Waitati, Dunedin, Milton, Balclutha, Gore, Mataura, Edendale, Invercargill and Bluff

Former:

1

General Information:

State Highway 1 is the main route throughout New Zealand, covering both the north and south islands. It is the most important and also the longest numbered route in the country.

The route is a mix of 2-lane rural highway, multilane urban arterial road, expressway and motorway standards. It passes through rural, commercial and industrial zones as well as through forested areas. The route is paved the entire length. A 7 km section of the route is tolled (Northern Gateway Toll Road) ¹, between the areas of Silverdale and Johnstone Hills north of Auckland. ² The route also features the Auckland Harbour Bridge over Waitemata Harbour. SH1 is broken into two segments by the Cook Strait, which is serviced by the Interislander Ferry between Wellington and Picton.

State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Waiōuru (the Desert Road) is the highest pass on the state highway network at about 1074 metres above sea level. ³

North Island:

30 May 1959: After decades of debate and petitions, the Auckland Harbour Bridge across the Waitematā Harbour opened to traffic. Before it opened, the only way passenger vehicles could cross the harbour was by ferry. Cars and taxis were tolled 25¢, motorcycles 15¢, buses 50¢, and 40¢ for commercial vehicles. ⁵

1966–1969: Clip-on lanes were added to the Auckland Harbour Bridge at a cost of $7.4 million, doubling the number of lanes from four to eight to increase capacity and ease congestion. ⁵

31 March 1984: Tolls were officially abolished on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. ⁵

1990: A moveable lane barrier system that includes a barrier and two machines is installed on the Auckland Harbour Bridge to prevent head-on collisions and manage traffic flows in the 'tidal' morning and evening peak system. ⁵

August 2008: A two-and-a-half-year project to strengthen the Auckland Harbour Bridge's clip-on lanes started. ⁵

25 January 2009: Northern Gateway Toll Road opened to traffic. The 7.5 km route extends the Northern Motorway from the Ōrewa turnoff to Pūhoi, bypassing the seaside townships of Ōrewa, Hatfield's Beach, Waiwera, and the Wenderholm Regional Park. The toll road features Johnstone's Hill Twin Tunnels, which are 15 metres apart, 380 metres long, 12 metres wide, and 9 metres high. They were built to carry two lanes each, plus a shoulder and an emergency pathway. ⁶

4 September 2011: The 1.3 km extension of Kamo Bypass in Whangārei was officially opened. ⁷

1 October 2012: Widening works commence on SH1 (also known as Western Hills Drive) in central Whangārei. ⁸

2015: Widening and realignment work begins on SH1 near Akerama Road, near Hūkerenui, 35 km north of Whangārei. ⁹

November 2014: Work starts on adding an additional northbound lane from Ellerslie-Panmure Highway on-ramp to after the main highway overbridge. ¹⁰

August 2015: Work commences on the 27 km Transmission Gully Motorway between the Kāpiti Coast and Wellington. ¹¹

28 August 2015: Work commenced on the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway. ¹²

27 October 2015: Work on safety improvements on State Highway 1 on the Brynderwyn Hill south of Whangārei. It includes widening the road, removing tight corners, and installing a wire rope barrier to separate north and southbound traffic. ¹³

16 December 2015: Completion of the 16 km Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway, starting south of the Tamahere interchange and ending around 2.5 km south of Cambridge. ¹⁴

12 July 2022: Completion of the eastern bypass of Hamilton. ¹⁵ SH1 was later relocated onto the new alignment, and the old route renumbered to SH1C.

South Island:

1912: The Ōpaoa River Bridge, between Picton and Blenheim on the northern edge of Blenheim, was designed. ¹⁶

1917: The Ōpaoa River Bridge opened to traffic. The bridge is 170 m long. ¹⁶

1932: Construction of the Dashwood Overbridge between Blenheim and Seddon. ¹⁷

2013: Completion of widening to four lanes between Russley Road from Avonhead Road to Yaldhurst Road. ¹⁸

20 December 2013: Johns Road, from Sawyers Arms Road to Harewood Road, opened to four lanes of traffic. ¹⁹

2014: Completion of widening to four lanes of Māsham and Carmen Roads between Yaldhurst Road and Waterloo Road. ²⁰

March 2015: Work commenced on the upgrade of Johns Road (SH1), between The Groynes and Sawyers Arms Road. ²¹

13 May 2015: Work commences on the construction of the Western Belfast Bypass. ²²

This page concentrates on the former alignment on the north island

Bluff to Cape Rēinga

Advance Direction Sign:

AD sign at Hamilton East approaching Grey St (UR6), February 2006.

Image © Paul Mech

Advance Direction Sign:

AD sign at Hamilton approaching Ōhaupō Rd (SH3), February 2006.

Image © Paul Mech

Cape Rēinga to Bluff

Old Advance Direction Sign:

Old style AD sign using older UK style fonts on Victoria St in Hamilton, approaching Anzac Pde and Tisdall St, February 2006. When the Hamilton Traffic Bridge first opened to traffic, Anzac Pde was known as either Richmond St or Hamilton Rd. It was renamed Bridge St in 1930, and later became Anzac Pde in 2015. ²³

Image © Paul Mech

Intersection Direction Sign:

ID sign on the roundabout with Morrinsville Rd (SH26) at Hillcrest, February 2006.

Image © Paul Mech

Confirmation Direction Sign:

Distance sign at Tamahere, February 2006.

Image © Paul Mech

Advance Direction Sign:

AD sign at Taupō on Lake Tce (former SH1) approaching Napier-Taupō Rd (former SH5), September 2016.

Image © Dean Sherry