Motorists travelling on the Rimutaka Hill Road are set to enjoy a safer road earlier than expected, with the Muldoon's Corner safety realignment on track for an early completion.
NZTA Wellington state highways manager Rod James says hard work and a relatively mild winter has meant major earthworks have been completed ahead of schedule and the Muldoon’s Corner project is expected to be completed significantly earlier than scheduled. The project was scheduled for completion in mid-2012, and is now expected to be finished in March.
“It’s not easy building a major construction project in such an isolated and difficult environment, and the team have done a superb job staying on top of things and getting this important safety project on track for an early finish.”
“Getting the job finished early not only means less disruption for the five thousand motorists every day who have been so patient during construction, but it also means safer journeys for everyone sooner rather than later.”
The project was already out of the blocks early, with construction brought forward two and a half years by the Government’s Jobs and Growth package in 2009. The project eases some of the sharpest, most dangerous corners on the winding Rimutaka Hill Road, improving safety, visibility and security for motorists.
Mr James says that despite high winds and recent heavy snowfall on the Rimutaka Hill Road the team have been able to push ahead with the final excavation work needed to reshape this section of SH2.
“The final section of pavement construction was completed last week, which means we now have traffic running over the full length of the Muldoon’s Corner project for the first time,” says Mr James.
The NZTA is advising road users to be aware of the road condition during this stage of construction and to keep to the revised speed limits.
The project is being built by Hawkins Construction Ltd, and is being managed by Opus International Consultants.
