REMINDER: Keeping State Highway 6 in tip top shape – night closures begin next week

Regular users of State Highway 6 between Rai Valley and Hira need to be ready for three weeks of night closures starting next week.

Resurfacing and maintenance work is scheduled for the Whangamoa Saddle 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 disruption on the route, the Pelorus Bridge on State Highway 6 between Havelock and Rai Valley will  also be closed on the night of 23 February from 8 pm until 5.30 am to allow one of its deck panels to be replaced. The bridge will be open for traffic at 12:30 am.

Road crews will be carrying out road resurfacing and other essential maintenance work including

clearing drains, replacing a culvert, completing resilience improvements, and other general works.

All the work has been deliberately timed to happen at night and outside peak summer holiday traffic to ensure it affects as few road users as possible.

Full closures are being used because of narrowness of the road and the equipment being used. It is not feasible or safe for road users or workers to run stop/go traffic management. The closures will allow the work to be completed faster and with lower traffic management costs.

The highway will be opened once per night at 12:30 am to let traffic through. Road users, particularly freight operators are urged to plan carefully to ensure they meet this schedule.

Drivers also need to be aware of other state highway maintenance work planned for the region in February and March, and to check road conditions before they travel.

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 is a much longer route and will add to travel times.

Works Location:

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