The NZ Transport Agency is starting work to install three median barrier gates on State Highway 2 between Ngauranga and Petone.
The gates will be placed at strategic locations along this section of SH 2, replacing three corrugated guardrails currently installed within the concrete median barrier.
Made of reinforced steel and weighing 3 tonnes each, the gates took more than 6 months to design and construct. They have been designed to be easily removable, yet will maintain median barrier safety requirements.
In the event of a major incident blocking lanes for several hours, these gates will enable emergency traffic controllers to open up the median and, with the help of Police, move traffic through to the other side.
The gate structures contain wheels and a jack operated by a lever so they can be raised off the ground and swung open easily. The gates are pinned at each end so they can open at either end or be lifted out of the way altogether.
“For anyone stuck in traffic when the floods hit last year, these gates will come as a welcome relief,” Wellington Transport System Manager, Mark Owen says.
“Essentially traffic will be directed in through one gate and out through the other. Whether they are needed for a flood, slip or major incident like a crash, the gates will allow traffic to continue to flow, albeit at a reduced temporary speed.”
It will take 3-4 weeks of night works for the gates to be installed with crews working Sunday to Thursday nights (weather permitting), between 7pm and 5:30am. The lane closest to the barrier in each direction will be closed to allow crews to work to remove the existing guardrail and install the new barriers.
Keep up to date with the latest travel information on NZ Transport Agency’s Traffic Map(external link).
