Wellington road users are being reminded it is important they plan ahead and be ready for a full weekend road closure on State Highway 58 at the end of the month.
The closure for safety improvement works will happen between Friday, 28 April and Monday, 1 May, unless postponed by bad weather. The highway will be closed from 8:00 pm on Friday to 4:00 am on Monday. Contractors are reconstructing a section of the highway as part of the safety improvement project to prepare the road for new median and side safety barriers.
People travelling between the Hutt Valley and Porirua/Kāpiti must use State Highway 1 and State Highway 2 via Ngauranga instead. State Highway 58 will be closed to through traffic between State Highway 1, Transmission Gully, through to State Highway 2, Hutt Valley.
Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Mark Owen, says the closure means thousands of extra vehicles will be using State Highways 1 and 2.
“On average, State Highway 58 between the Hutt Valley and the Transmission Gully interchange carries about 20,000 vehicles a day. While volumes on weekends are lower, a large number of vehicles will still be expected to use the detour routes.”
“It’s not uncommon for there to be congestion on State Highway 2, between the Hutt Valley and Wellington, on the weekends. The State Highway 58 closure increases this risk, so drivers can expect to be delayed”, Mr Owen says
Mark Owen says it is essential people avoid journeys where possible, use public transport, or allow extra time for their travel.
“If you have events you must attend, such as weekend sports, make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get there. If traffic volumes are high, travel delays may be longer than expected. We also want people to take extra care on the roads too. Even minor incidents can have a major impact on traffic congestion.”
Drivers are also encouraged to check road conditions before they travel. The Waka Kotahi Journey Planner(external link) provides estimates for travel times on the state highway network.
The closure will allow work to be completed on the State Highway 58 Safety Improvements project between Moonshine Road and Mount Cecil Road.
Mr Owen understands the closure is inconvenient and frustrating for road users. But he says a full closure of State Highway 58 allows the work to be completed much faster.
“The alternative is to do the work over multiple nights and weekends using stop/go traffic management. This would create greater disruption and even more delays for drivers, and is something we want to avoid”, Mr Owen says.
There will be local access to properties and businesses outside the works area from either end of State Highway 58. Residents inside the full closure work area, and emergency services, will have access as required.
Dry weather is required for the work to be completed successfully. If wet weather is forecast, the closure will be postponed to the weekend beginning Friday, 5 May or the weekend beginning Friday, 12 May.
Works Area and Detour Map:
