The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has started strengthening work on the Kawarau River Bridge on SH6 (adjacent to AJ Hackett Bungy), between Cromwell and Queenstown.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has started strengthening work on the Kawarau River Bridge on SH6 (adjacent to AJ Hackett Bungy), between Cromwell and Queenstown.
Project Manager John Jarvis says preliminary work to prepare the bridge for this strengthening is underway and may cause some minor traffic delays. The work that will necessitate reducing the bridge to one lane controlled by traffic signals 24 hours a day will start from Monday 11 May 2009. While every effort is being made to minimize disruption to motorists while the bridge is down to a single lane, there will be traffic delays of up to 30 minutes. Exactly when these delays will occur will be confirmed closer to the time. The strengthening work cannot be done at night due to safety and temperature issues under the bridge.
Mr Jarvis says the strengthening work involves welding large steel plates into the bridge structure to provide additional support for growing traffic volumes.
“With the bridge nearing the end of its original design life, this work is vital to lengthening its service. Strengthening the bridge now will help to avoid the need for traffic weight restrictions in the future, and should extend the life of the bridge by up to 25 years,” Mr Jarvis said.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of June. The NZ Transport Agency will provide regular updates on this work and information will be available on NZTA’s Highway Information website at www.highwayinfo.govt.nz(external link).
For more information please contact:
Bob Nettleton
Regional Communications Advisor
T DDI 03 951 3005
M 021 954 928
F 03 964 2855
E-mail bob.nettleton@nzta.govt.nz
