The NZ Transport Agency is warning road users that they can expect delays from Monday 8 February 2010 as it carries out safety work on State Highway 6 at the Nevis Bluff, about midway between Cromwell and Queenstown.
The NZ Transport Agency is warning road users that they can expect delays from Monday 8 February 2010 as it carries out safety work on State Highway 6 at the Nevis Bluff, about midway between Cromwell and Queenstown.
NZTA Area Manager Central Otago John Jarvis says two areas of unstable rock have been assessed as posing a potential hazard to road users and is moving to stabilise these areas before they pose a greater hazard to road users. One of the areas is a remnant of a major rock fall in September 2000 that closed the road for two weeks, and will be removed by drilling and blasting. The other area will be stabilised using rock bolts to help ensure the long term stability of that part of the Bluff. This work is part of NZTA’s continuing monitoring of the Nevis Bluff since the rock fall in September 2000.
“Because of the difficulty and unpredictable nature of the drilling and blasting work and for safety reasons, road closures can be expected from Monday to Friday throughout the course of the works. These are programmed to be complete by 19 March 2010”.
Mr Jarvis says 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.
He added that 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. “At this stage only a handful of blasts are expected over the 6 week stabilisation programme.”
The NZTA will provide updates on when work starts and as it progresses, with the latest traffic information available on the NZTA’s Highway Info website at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic(external link).
