The poor weather forecast is impacting planned work on State Highway 1 (SH1) near Halletts Bay, between Taupō and Tūrangi, and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises a change to road closure times.
The region is expecting rain on Friday and Saturday which means the foam bitumen stabilisation and first coat of road seal is delayed until Sunday 4 Feb and Monday 5 Feb.
A new timetable of works is below.
NZTA is aware that there have been traffic delays of up to an hour this week, due to the multiple work sites between Taupō and Tūrangi, and apologises for the inconvenience.
Road rehabilitation work commenced on Tuesday 30 January 2024 and involves periods of daytime road closure.
As the worksite is located at a narrow section of road, there is not room for both machinery and cars side by side. The only option is to close the road for periods of time to complete the work, says Andy Oakley, System Manager at NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
“The 330m section of road needs to be reconstructed, as the underlying layers of the road have reached the end of their useful life. Unfortunately, a closure of the road is the only safe way to complete this.
“We have worked with our contractors to minimise disruption as much as possible. The road is closed between 9am and 2:30pm and operates under stop/go traffic management between 7:00am and 9:00am, and again from 2:30pm until 7:00pm for commuter traffic.“
Outside these hours the road is open to traffic travelling in both directions, with a temporary speed limit in place.
Foam Bitumen Stabilisation, an innovative construction method which recycles existing material from the road and mixes it with bitumen, is being used to minimise the time spent fixing the road surface.
“We appreciate that this work is disruptive to both local residents and business owners, as well as those taking longer journeys. This work was postponed due to Cyclone Gabrielle last summer and is now urgent.
“We’ve chosen an option that reduces disruption as much as possible, while providing a great outcome for road users moving forward,” says Mr Oakley.
At the same time, we are taking the opportunity to complete other maintenance and renewals activities. This includes road surface repairs at Waitahanui (from Awhi Road to south of Wairau Avenue). Other works are being completed using appropriate traffic management, and temporary speed limits will be in place as required.
Road users intending to travel during the closure period will need to plan ahead to ensure they reach their destination on time.
Residents and those travelling to or from properties (including the Motutere Bay Holiday Park) within the closure can get through as required. Other road users need to use State Highway SH41 & SH32 then on to local roads of Poihipi and Wairakei Dr to travel around the lake and vice versa.
There is signage in place for road users to ensure they can take the most efficient route to their destination. The NZTA Journey Planner is also a great resource showing all roadworks and incidents on the network, which will help everyone get to their destination at the right time.
NZTA Journey Planner(external link)
The new traffic management timetable for Halletts Bay is as follows
|
Date |
Times |
|
Thursday 1 February |
Stop/Go – 7.00am-9.00am CLOSED – 9.00am-2.30pm Stop/Go – 2.30pm – 7.00pm |
|
Friday 2 February |
No work – both lanes open under temporary speed limit
|
|
Saturday 3 February |
No work – both lanes open under temporary speed limit |
|
Sunday 4 February |
Stop/Go – 7.00am-9.00am CLOSED – 9.00am-2.30pm Stop/Go – 2.30pm – 7.00pm |
|
Monday 5 February |
Stop/Go – 7.00am-9.00am CLOSED – 9.00am-2.30pm Stop/Go – 2.30pm – 7.00pm |
|
Tuesday 6 February |
No work – both lanes open under temporary speed limit to bed in seal |
|
Wednesday 7 February |
Open – Stop/Go traffic management – for sweeping/linemarking |
