The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) advises that from Monday 9 February 2009 it will be doing safety work on State Highway 6 at the Nevis Bluff, about midway between Cromwell and Queenstown, which could cause some traffic delays.
The NZ Transport Agency advises that from Monday 9 February 2009 it will be doing safety work on State Highway 6 at the Nevis Bluff, about midway between Cromwell and Queenstown, which could cause some traffic delays.
“A significant amount of unstable rock has been assessed as posing a potential hazard to road users and we now have to remove around 1,500m3 of weathered rock and stabilise the area,” said John Jarvis, NZTA Area Engineer Central Otago.
This work is part of NZTA’s continuing monitoring of the Nevis Bluff since the large scale rock fall in September 2000, which closed the road for two continuous weeks.
Work will consist of drilling and blasting of the rock mass and because of the difficulty and unpredictable nature of the work and for safety considerations, road closures can be expected from Monday to Friday throughout the course of the works. The work is programmed to be complete by 3 April 2009.
There will be road openings on the hour every hour between the hours of 8.:00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday to enable motorists to time their travel with a road opening. Between the hourly openings traffic will be cleared approximately every 20 minutes.
While the delays should be mainly up to 20 minutes, there will be up to 1 hour closures during the course of the works to allow for blasting operations. Blast closures will be advised separately as work progresses, however up to three blasts per week are expected at this stage.
The NZTA will provide further media releases when work starts and as it progresses. Alternatively, to find out the latest traffic information, the public can go to NZTA’s Highway info website at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz(external link).
For more information please contact:
John Jarvis
Area Engineer Central Otago
NZ Transport Agency
T 64 3 4778527
M 027 4359567
F 64 3 477 9237
E john.jarvis@nzta.govt.nz
