Freight carriers agree upcoming State Highway 1 repairs are necessary. 

The Desert Road in the Central North Island is shutting to traffic between Tūrangi and Waiouru from January 6 until the end of February. 

NZTA says the detour will add half an hour and an extra 50km to people’s journey. 

National Road Carriers Policy & Advocacy manager, James Smith, says the entire network has maintenance that needs to happen. 

He says they've known about it since August, and the road will end up with a much better finish. 

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