NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s Fulton Hogan team resumes building the new Mt Iron roundabout, at the entrance to Wanaka, near Albert Town next week. A week later, from Monday, 22 January, the intersection with Riverbank Road is closing for a month.
The roundabout is at the intersection of Riverbank Road, SH6 (two legs of the roundabout) and SH84, the Wanaka-Luggate highway.
Access to Riverbank Road from the roundabout will be closed from Monday, 22 January as the Riverbank Road leg construction gets underway. All vehicles will be detoured via Ballantyne Road, a route approved for all vehicle classes.
Sections of the new roundabout currently being used by traffic aren’t affected over the Riverbank Road closure period.
This detour is likely to be in place for a month through to Friday, 23 February.
Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is expected to begin work on a separate roundabout project at the intersection of Riverbank Road and Ballantyne Road on Monday 22 January, making efficient use of the road closure on Riverbank Road. It is not expected to affect the NZTA detour route significantly. QLDC will be sharing details on their project separately:
QLDC - Upper Clutha safety improvements programme(external link)
The site of the new roundabout at Mt Iron (red cone) and the detour route, Ballantyne Road to the south.
The Ballantyne Road detour runs from central Wanaka (SH84) to SH6, the route to the Wanaka Airport.
NZTA Journey Manager, Nicole Felts, says although lengthy, Ballantyne Road is the only practical detour available.
“We acknowledge this may be disruptive for drivers and that the road also offers easy and convenient connections to Wanaka’s wider road network making it popular with locals.”
The closure and detour will be in place over Waitangi Day, Tuesday 6 February, however the roundabout will still be operational so access to Wanaka and the West Coast will not be affected.
Miss Felts says with the closure expected to increase the amount of traffic using the Mt Iron intersection and with the summer holiday season in full swing, she encourages people to allow extra travel time.
When work resumes on the Mt Iron roundabout next week, the focus will be on building the last two legs of the roundabout ahead of the full roundabout completion in April.
Mt Iron roundabout project page
Crews at work late last year, 2023, at the Mt Iron roundabout.
