The NZ Transport Agency advises Northland motorists that State Highway 11 past Lemons Hill will be reduced to one lane traffic during the daytime next week.
The road will open to one lane under stop/go traffic management from 7:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday each day. Road crews will be installing kerbing, channelling and a safety barrier as well as carrying out minor road repairs.
The closure signals the end of five months of work on Lemons Hill after a big slip came down over the road on February 13, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.
“We really appreciate the support of our local communities while we’ve worked to restore the road. We know the road closures and having to use the detour route have been disruptive and inconvenient. We thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The hillside has been stripped of about 50,000 cubic metres of loose material and trees. There are now five big benches or steps cut into the hillside and new grass and native bush have been planted to aid regeneration.
Next week, a specialised concrete forming machine will be used to build a safety barrier along the roadside. The barrier will keep vehicles away from the edge of the hillside and stop any loose material that washes down the slopes from going on to the road. Two 600 metre culverts have also been installed to contain and redirect rain water that used to run across the road.
