SH3 at Mt Messenger to close for asphalt surfacing in November

Roading crews will complete asphalt resurfacing at State Highway 3 Mt Messenger in November under a series of road closures.

The work, which is a continuation of the work carried out earlier this year, will take place between Sunday 10 and Friday 22 November.

Most of the work will be completed at night when traffic volumes are lowest to minimise disruption as much as possible. The work will be completed under a series of closures due to the narrow and winding nature of the road. During the closures, the road will be reopened at regular intervals to allow for traffic to travel through.

The planned closures are:

• Between Sunday 10 and Wednesday 13 November, the road will be closed each night from 8pm-5am with an opening between midnight and 1am to clear traffic.
• Between 7pm Friday 15 and 4am Monday 18 November, the road will be closed day and night, with scheduled openings to clear traffic. During the full weekend closure (15-18 November) there will be scheduled opening times. These details are attached.
• Between Monday 18 and Friday 22 November, the road will again be closed each night from 8pm-5am with an opening between midnight and 1am to clear traffic.

SH3 Mt Messenger Bypass schedule for November 2024 [PDF, 118 KB]

Should the weather not be suitable during the weekend of 15-18 November, this closure will be postponed to the next weekend, 22-25 November. Any changes will be communicated as early as possible.  

Crews will return in February-March 2025 to complete further asphalt repairs at the northern base of Mt Messenger. This work will be completed at night to minimise disruption.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi System Manager for Taranaki, Liesl Dawson says this is a key part of the network for freight and for other road users – this work will improve the resilience of this part of the network.