Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises people to plan ahead for upcoming disruptions to travel on State Highway 3 over Mt Messenger from 16 May 2022 through to mid-June 2022, as enabling works for the Te Ara o Te Ata: Mt Messenger Bypass project get underway.
Update 11 May: The full closure of State Highway 3 at Mt Messenger for the recovery of the logging truck, which had been scheduled for Thursday 19 May, will now take place on Sunday 22 May (with Sunday 29 May the contingency date, in case of poor weather).
The Stop/Go traffic management will now start from Thursday 19 May (not Friday 20 May), with a full road closure on Sunday 22 May, as detailed above.
All other details in the below traffic bulletin remain the same.
A full road closure on Thursday 19 May will also allow for the recovery of a logging truck that recently rolled down a steep bank in the area.
Delays of up to 1.5 hours are possible during temporary closures Monday 16 – Wednesday 18 May. Following the full closure on Thursday 19 May, Stop/Go traffic management will be in place from Friday 20 May to mid-June.
One-hour closures 16-18 May
Between 8am and 5.30pm from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 May, the road will be closed to allow for Bypass project enabling activities such as minor vegetation clearance and earthworks. Portaloos and defibrillators will be available as required for waiting motorists.
Road closure timings for Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 May:
|
Timing |
Lanes open/closed |
|
8:00am to 9:00am |
North and south bound lanes CLOSED |
|
9:00am to 9:30am |
North bound lane OPEN and South bound lane CLOSED |
|
9:30am to 10:00am |
South bound lane OPEN and North bound lane CLOSED |
|
10:00am to 11:00am |
North and south bound lanes CLOSED |
|
11:00am to 11:30am |
North bound lane OPEN and South bound lane CLOSED |
|
11:30am to 12:00pm |
South bound lane OPEN and North bound lane CLOSED |
|
12:00pm to 1:00pm |
North and south bound lanes CLOSED |
|
1:00pm to 1:30pm |
North bound lane OPEN and South bound lane CLOSED |
|
1:30pm to 2:00pm |
South bound lane OPEN and North bound lane CLOSED |
|
2:00pm to 3:00pm |
North and south bound lanes CLOSED |
|
3:00pm to 3:30pm |
North bound lane OPEN and South bound lane CLOSED |
|
3:30pm to 4:00pm |
South bound lane OPEN and North bound lane CLOSED |
|
4:00pm to 5:00pm |
North and south bound lanes CLOSED |
|
5:00pm to 5:30pm |
North bound lane OPEN and South bound lane CLOSED |
|
5:30pm until 8am |
North and south bound lanes OPEN |
All-day closure 19 May
On Thursday 19 May SH3 will be closed over Mt Messenger between 9am and 5pm to recover the logging truck that recently rolled down a steep bank in the area.
This closure will permit the recovery of the truck using a crane. While the crane is operating, both lanes will be blocked with equipment and there will be no ability for vehicles to cross over Mt Messenger during this time.
During the closure, some Bypass enabling works will also be completed. A full day of this activity will reduce future traffic disruption.
If the truck recovery cannot be undertaken on 19 May, it will be rescheduled for Tuesday 24 May.
Stop/Go in place from 20 May to mid-June
From Friday 20 May, Stop/Go traffic management will be in place to allow for Bypass enabling works.
Waka Kotahi expects these controls to run until mid-June on all fine weather days, including weekends, with the exception of the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend (4, 5 and 6 June).
We aim to limit delays to no more than 15 minutes.
The above works are all weather dependent and may be postponed at short notice. People are encouraged to visit the Waka Kotahi social media pages and our Journey Planner website:
Mt Messenger rest area
The rest area at the summit of Mt Messenger will be closed from Monday 16 May for approximately two weeks.
Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience while we undertake these works. These closures are necessary to ensure the safety of our crews and motorists.
