Work begins in just over a week to rebuild and reseal two sections of State Highway 3 at Onaero in Taranaki.
From Monday 14 October, crews will be onsite completely rebuilding a section of SH3 between Waiau and Kaipikari Roads.
Crews will be rebuilding two sections of the road over the next 7 weeks – starting at the intersection with Onaero River Road and then moving to a stretch of state highway between Ohanga and Waiau Roads.
During the work, stop/go traffic management will be in place, with a reduced temporary speed limit. Delays of approximately 5-10 minutes should be expected.
Crews will be onsite 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday during these works. Crews are hopeful they may be able to work on both sites at once, for a period of up to a fortnight, which may reduce the overall construction timeframe.
During the state highway work, general access to and from Onaero River Road at SH3 will be closed, while the council uses the period to complete other repairs.
Alternative routes will be available and clearly signposted.
Meanwhile work began this week (2 October) to rebuild and reseal a stretch of State Highway 3 at Midhirst.
Crews will be onsite over the next 7-8 weeks, completely rebuilding a section of SH3 between Rutland and Denbigh Roads.
During the work, two lanes of traffic will remain open however there will be a temporary speed restriction in place.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Rua Pani says it’s a busy period on other parts of SH3 too, as the temperatures get warmer and drier.
“We appreciate the delays are frustrating and we want to reiterate how crucial this work is to ensuring resilient, efficient and safe travel on SH3. It’s really important people adhere to the temporary speed limit to ensure the new seal has the best chance of setting properly.
“We’ve had a few instances at a SH3 site south of New Plymouth, at Burgess Park, of workers being verbally abused by some motorists. This is a timely reminder for people to please be patient and respectful to the crews on site – they are members of the community working to improve the road for everyone.”
For the latest updates on NZTA’s maintenance programme in Taranaki, visit nzta.govt.nz/taranaki-maintenance
