The Desert Road between Turangi and Waiouru is re-opening from 1pm today, after two months of closure

NZTA says the upgrade of State Highway 1 represents five years of work crammed in to just two months.

It will mean that motorists avoid a 40 minute detour.

Waikato and Bay of Plenty maintenance and operation Manager Roger Brady says it's incredibly satisfying to finish the work on time.

He says once minor repairs are done later this year it won't need major upgrades for 10 to 12 years.