The repairs to the Newton River Bridge will now be undertaken between Tuesday 21 and Saturday 25 May ahead of King’s Birthday and Matariki holidays.
During this time State Highway 6 Upper Buller Gorge between the Murchison Limeworks and the Lyell Campground will be closed, day and night, so one span of the bridge's deck can be replaced.
Contractors will remove the old deck before pouring a new reinforced concrete deck in its place. The bridge's guardrails and handrails will then be reinstalled with repaired supports.
This work must be carried out under a full closure so contractors can complete the job quickly and safely, however work is weather-dependent.
People travelling between Nelson and the West Coast must plan ahead for this closure. The detour will add around two hours, or 150km, to journey times.
Rob Service, System Manager Top of the South, says this work was originally planned for April but was postponed due to a material supply issue.
“Because of this issue the project plan has changed slightly and now requires a five-day closure,” Mr Service says.
“Carrying out this work now means we can complete the bridge maintenance when there are fewer tourists and motorists using the state highway.”
Mr Service says although the weather is getting colder and the risk of snow on the detour route is a factor, it’s important that this work is completed as soon as possible. “Should weather become an issue during the project the closure will remain in place and every effort will be made to re-open the detour route as soon as possible,” he says.
While the closure is in place, work to repair O’Sullivans bridge, and general maintenance works (such as cleaning signs, edge markers and water tables) in preparation for the coming winter, will also be undertaken.
Detour route during the five-day closure:
