As the final part of the strengthening and widening work on the Kakaho Creek Bridge, North Otago, the NZ Transport Agency will reduce the bridge to one lane and one-way only for four weeks from early November.
The bridge is on State Highway 1, 3km north of Hampden.
Traffic signals will control traffic flows for the four weeks while the new part of the bridge is joined to the existing structure.
Road users should allow extra travel time for their trips on SH1 between Palmerston and Oamaru in November, said Phil Dowsett, Transport Agency Senior Project Manager.
People attending the 18 November Fleetwood Mac concert in Dunedin should also factor in a short delay at the bridge heading south, he said.
In recent months, the bridge has been strengthened for HPMV (High Productivity Motor Vehicle – a heavy haulage freight truck with loads from 45 to 58 tonnes) usage.
The strengthening is being followed by widening, almost double the existing width, with six new piles up to nine metres deep required to support the broader structure.
The approaches to the bridge are also being widened and the curves eased to improve safety, particularly for truck drivers.
The $1.6M project by contractor Fulton Hogan had progressed well, Mr Dowsett said. The bridge would reopen to two lanes early December.
