Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The top of the south summer maintenance continues with State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle, between Rai Valley and Hira, and the Pelorus Bridge next in line for work.
This route will have three weeks of night closures from late-February until mid-March for road resurfacing and maintenance work.
The work will run from 23 February until 13 March. During this time State Highway 6 between Hira and Rai Valley will be closed from 8 pm to 5.30 am, Sunday to Thursday nights. No work will be done on Friday and Saturdays.
To take advantage of this closure and reduce future disruption on this corridor, the Pelorus Bridge on State Highway 6 between Havelock and Rai Valley will be closed on the night of 23 February from 8 pm until 5.30 am. The bridge will be open for traffic at 12:30 am.
Rob Service, System Manager Nelson-Tasman, says it’s critical this important route between Nelson and Marlborough is regularly and properly maintained.
It’s essential our road crews get in well before winter to ensure the highway is in good shape before the cooler, wetter weather arrives. They’ll be clearing drainage, replacing a culvert, doing resilience improvements, and other general maintenance work.”
“The work on Pelorus Bridge on the first night of the closure involves replacing a bridge deck panel. The bridge must be closed while this work is undertaken. Our Nelson and Marlborough teams have worked together and planned this work to occur during the Whangamoa Saddle work to reduce the impact on road users.”
“We have deliberately timed the work to happen at night and it is also well outside peak summer holiday traffic. It means it will affect as few road users as possible,” Mr Service says.
The road will be opened once per night at 12:30 am to let traffic through. The freight industry and other drivers will need to plan carefully to ensure they meet this schedule.
Mr Service says given the narrowness of the road and the equipment being used, the highway must be closed.
“We realise road closures are disruptive, but they help keep our road crews safer and let us complete our work faster.”
“Doing this work during the day under stop/go when there is more traffic, would create major delays for drivers. Night closures help us avoid this,” Mr Service says.
And he says drivers need to be aware of other state highway maintenance work planned for State Highway’s around the region in February and March.
“Drivers must keep this in mind. Please, check road conditions before you travel. Be aware of where the road works are so you can plan your journeys properly,” Mr Service says.
Other State Highway maintenance works:
- SH6 Havelock – Nighttime works: Asphalting
- Tuesday, 11 February to Sunday, 6 March, 7 pm to 7 am. Stop/go with delays of up to 10 minutes.
- SH6 Pelorus – Day time work: Area Wide Pavement Treatment
- Monday, 10 February to Tuesday, 11 March, 7 am to 7 pm. Stop/go with delays of up to 10 minutes.
SH6 Whangamoa Saddle – works schedule and location:
- 23 February to 13 March. Sunday to Thursday nights, 8 pm – 5:30 am.
- No work will be done on Friday and Saturday nights. The highway will be open, but traffic management and temporary speed limits will apply at work areas.
- There will be one nightly opening of the road at 12:30 am to allow vehicles through. Drivers must be at the closure points (at the weighbridge in Hira, and on the Rai Valley straight at Rai Engineering & Mechanical) by 12:30 am.
- Bad weather may see works delayed or extended.
- There will be other areas of work on our state highways across the top of the South during February. Please plan ahead when travelling.
SH6 Pelorus Bridge – works schedule and location:
- Sunday 23 February, 8 pm – 5:30 am with one opening of the road at 12:30 am to allow vehicles to cross the bridge.
- Drivers must be at the closure points at the Pelorus Bridge by 12:30 am.
- Contractors will return to the site to complete maintenance work on SH6 Pelorus Bridge from 3 March to 6 March, 8 pm – 5:30 am. Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
- Bad weather may see works delayed or extended.
- There will be other areas of work on our state highways across the top of the South during February. Please plan ahead when travelling.
Detour Route:
- The alternate route for drivers wanting to travel over night between Blenheim and Nelson is via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud.
- This a much longer route and will add more than two hours to travel times.
Works Location:
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