Next week's removal of the temporary Bailey Bridge on State Highway 60's Takaka Hill means it won't be long before Eureka Bend is back to its full capacity.
Next week’s removal of the temporary Bailey Bridge on State Highway 60’s (SH60) Takaka Hill means it won’t be long before Eureka Bend is back to its full capacity.
The one-lane bridge, installed in 2006 after a slip reduced the road width, will be removed on Tuesday 19 May. This work is expected to take the entire day and will divert traffic onto the newly constructed road beside the Bailey bridge.
NZTA is advising some delays are likely as traffic will be stopped intermittently to allow the bridge to be dismantled and taken away in sections.
Deborah Hume, Nelson Regional Director for NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), says she is pleased that work has progressed to the point where the Bailey Bridge will be removed.
“People travelling on SH60 have waited patiently for nearly three years to have their road back to two lanes.
It’s good to know it will only be a matter of days after the bridge is gone before motorists will be able to travel past each other without needing to wait at the Bailey bridge,” Dr Hume says.
Work to reinstate Eureka Bend began after Waitangi weekend this year and included extensive work to ensure the road would not slip away again.
“We appreciate the effect this road restriction has caused people and have worked hard to stabilise Eureka Bend to protect it from further slips. It’s important to us to keep people moving on the highway for whatever their purpose, particularly in this area where there can be more vehicles on the road in holiday periods,” Dr Hume says.
The remaining work is weather dependent, so the full reinstatement of SH60 may take a few extra days if the weather is poor after the Bailey bridge is removed.
For more information please contact:
Andree Kai Fong
Communications advisor
T 64 4 894 5211
M 027 672 5881
F 04 4 894 3305
andree.kaifong@nzta.govt.nz
