Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Crews have kicked back into gear following the holiday season with road renewal works underway in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.
From Wednesday 15 January, road rebuild works will begin on a section of State Highway 54 (SH54) Kimbolton Road, near the intersection with Ridds Road.
This daytime road maintenance and drainage improvement work will be carried out over 12 weeks, and is expected to be complete by Monday 14 April.
Crews will be working between 6am – 7pm Monday to Friday, including some weekends (weather permitting). During the work, temporary traffic management will be in place 24/7.
Between 6am and 7pm, a section of SH54 will be down to one lane under stop/go traffic management, with a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. Delays of up to 10 minutes are expected. Outside of working hours, temporary traffic lights and a reduced speed limit of 30km/h will be in place at the site.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi acknowledges this work will be disruptive for some road users and appreciates people’s patience while this strengthening work is carried out to make the road more resilient.
Rebuilds involve the removal of the existing road surface and underlying road structure and replacing them with new materials. Rebuilds help improve the overall condition of our state highway network, resulting in stronger, more resilient roads.
Crews will also return in about 12 months to add the second coat of seal on this section of SH54 which waterproofs and further strengthens the road.
The 2024/2025 road renewal season
During the course of the renewal season, which typically runs between October to March when the weather is warmer and drier, it’s anticipated that 17 lane kilometres* of state highway in the region will be rebuilt. Crews have already completed a number of rebuilds on SH1, SH2, and SH54 (Vinegar Hill) so far this construction season.
For more information about the 2024/2025 season:
Manawatū-Whanganui maintenance and operations webpage
Other renewal works currently underway
State Highway 1, Bulls asphalting: Work has begun on SH1/High St in Bulls. A short section of High St is closed each night between 6pm – 6am, with a detour via Criterion St. Stop/go is also in place.
Range of resurfacing road maintenance for SH1 Bulls starts next week
State Highway 56, Opiki rebuild: Work has begun on a section of SH56 in Opiki, between Alve Rd and the SH57 intersection. From 7 January to 7 March, daytime closures are in place each day between 6am – 6pm. The detour is via SH57 or SH1.
SH56 maintenance work at Opiki starting next week
*Lane kilometres are the total length of lanes to be resealed or rehabilitated. For example, resealing both lanes of a 10 kilometre stretch of two-lane highway results in 20 lane kilometres.