Repair work means motorists will have limited overnight access across the Kawarau Falls Bridge on State Highway 6 between Frankton and Kelvin Heights for about a month from this Sunday night 23 May 2010.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says the partial closures, from Sunday night to Friday morning, will be between 11 pm and 6am. Traffic will only be allowed to use the bridge for a 10 minute period each hour on the hour between these times.
NZTA Area Manager John Jarvis says the partial closure is unavoidable because the bridge is single lane. Access will be provided for emergency services at all times and the footbridge for pedestrians will remain open.
“The repairs are part of an ongoing structural maintenance programme on the 84-year-old bridge and will involve improvements to the decking and to the abutment cap at the Kingston end of the bridge. This work will result in a smoother ride for those using the bridge and less rattle and clatter from the running boards on the bridge”.
Mr Jarvis says the work is being carried out over night to keep disruption to road users to an absolute minimum, which is why no work will be done on Friday and Saturday nights and on the night of Sunday 6 June (Queen’s Birthday weekend).
The work is expected to be completed by Friday 25 June 2010.
