A fifth location has now been confirmed for the installation of flexible median barrier on State Highway 3 between Whanganui and Bulls.
In February, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi announced plans to install up to 6 kilometres of flexible median barrier on this stretch of SH3 by the middle of the year as a first step towards making the route safer.
The five confirmed locations for flexible median barrier, totalling 3.7km in length, will be installed at the following locations:
The locations of up to 3 further sites for flexible median barrier are to be confirmed.
Work begins on Monday (20 May) to install barrier, starting on the stretch of SH3 between Duddings Lake and Union Line. Once that section is complete, crews will move to Union Line to Williamsons Line. Our contractor plans to install flexible median barrier one stretch at a time. This work is expected to be complete by the end of June.
Where our contractor will be working, a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place. For most of the work, both lanes of the road will remain open. However, for some of the work stop/go traffic management may be required, with 5-minute delays expected.
Work will take place Monday to Friday between the hours of 6am and 6pm.
Contractors have been working in the area since February to widen the road in preparation for the installation.
Contractors working on State Highway 3 safety improvements between Whanganui and Bulls will begin installing flexible median barrier along the highway later this month.
In February, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi announced plans to install up to 6 kilometres of flexible median barrier on this stretch of SH3 by the middle of the year as a first step towards making the route safer.
Contractors also began work to widen a section of the state highway to make room for the installation of the barrier.
NZTA has worked with residents and users of this stretch of highway, including hosting community drop in sessions, to identify the locations for the initial stretches of flexible median barrier.
NZTA Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery Rob Partridge says flexible median barrier is an effective way to make the state highway network safer and minimise the impacts of crashes.
“We know the construction process will be disruptive and we thank people for their patience. We also know these median barriers and other changes will have immediate safety benefits, while also maintaining efficient travel between Whanganui and Bulls.”
Four initial sites have been confirmed for flexible median barrier installation.
The locations of the four stretches of flexible median barrier totalling 2.9 km in length are as follows:
The locations for three further stretches of flexible median barrier will be finalised in the near future.
Traffic management will change during the installation – please keep up to date on the NZTA Journey Planner and expect lower temporary speed limits and drive to the conditions through traffic management.
More information about the project is available on our website.
