Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is gearing up for the country’s largest-ever road renewal season.
Throughout Tairāwhiti, between October 2022 and April 2023, approximately 100 lane kilometres of state highway will be renewed (resealed or rebuilt) – more than 15% of the region’s state highway network.
Starting Tuesday 11 October, the reseal team will begin with an intensive two-weeks of work over 20 sites on State Highway 35 between Ruatoria and Potaka, requiring road closures from 9am – 12pm and 12.30pm – 2.30pm, with a 30min opening at 12pm.
“We have a big job ahead of us at the northern end of SH35 where we are starting the season. The highway can be very narrow in parts which means our work zones are restricted and road closures are necessary to ensure our contractors can undertake this work safely. Travellers should expect disruptions,” says Jaclyn Hankin, Waka Kotahi Regional Manager, Maintenance and Operations.
“Due to the amount of work planned along SH35, Waka Kotahi is taking a coordinated, corridor-wide approach to improve and repair the highway and plans are in place to complete work as efficiently and effectively as possible, minimising the overall impact on people using the roads.
“Our contractors started work on isolated patches of the state highway network on 1 September, repairing the underlying road structure, ahead of resealing later in the season.
“This renewal programme is one of the most significant we have undertaken. It’ll include 91 lane kilometres of resealing on 89 sites on our state highways and 12 rehabilitation sites covering 8.4 lane km. It’s an immense job, and we’re up to it.
“Due to the level of activity across the network we highly recommend checking the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner before starting your journey.”
Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link)
Nationally, Waka Kotahi is planning to reseal or rebuild approximately 2,450 lane kilometres of state highway, equivalent to 10% of the state highway network.
