Taranaki road renewal season to ensure reliable, secure, resilient access for communities

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is ramping up renewal work in Taranaki this 2024/2025 road maintenance season to promote resilient, secure, and reliable access for communities.

During the course of the 2024/25 maintenance season, which is now underway, it’s anticipated that 32 lane kilometres of state highway in the region will be rebuilt.

Typically the season runs from October to the end of March – to make the most of the traditionally drier, sunnier, calmer weather – essential to successfully reseal roads.

“Because summer in Taranaki is busy with lots of different events planned, we’ve started the Taranaki maintenance season early (with the SH3 rebuild at Burgess Park) to get our most impactful work completed prior to the event season,” says Rua Pani, Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations.

“We know that a well-maintained state highway network promotes safety and improves options for moving people and freight.”

“Undertaking a higher number of road rebuilds is a key priority in the region. This is how we improve road conditions long-term,” says Ms Pani.

These works are underway:

• State Highway 3 Burgess Park rebuild - Work began on Monday 16 September and is expected to run for approximately 8 weeks. Single lane closures, and a detour will be in place.
• State Highway 45 Vivian Street - Work is underway to resurface SH45 Vivian Street. Single lane closures, and a detour will be in place.

These works are coming up:

• State Highway 45 Powderham Street - Following the Vivian Street work, asphalt repairs will be completed on SH45 Powderham Street between Dawson and Robe Streets. This work will take approximately 3-4 nights to complete under a single lane closure. We will confirm the dates for this work as soon as possible.
• State Highway 3 Onaero rebuild - From Monday 14 October, crews will be rebuilding two sections of the road over 7 weeks – starting at the intersection with Onaero River Road and then moving to a stretch of state highway between Ohanga and Waiau Roads.

Both NZTA and New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) will also complete many asphalt reseals on roads this season.

Most of the asphalt work will be done at night, ensuring shorter construction periods and minimise  disruption to the public and road users.

Further reseal sites that NZTA will be completing are listed below:

• SH3 Elliot Street between Pendarves and Courtenay Streets 
• SH3 Courtenay Street between Elliot and Hobson Streets 
• Sections of SH3 Northgate between Mangorei and Smart Roads
• SH3 Devon Road at the intersection of Corbett Road
• SH44 Molesworth Street between Eliot and Liardet Streets
• SH45 South Road at Spotswood 

With the increase in renewal work, road users can expect to encounter a number of roadwork sites and sections of newly sealed road on their journeys.

“It is important that drivers follow the temporary traffic management in place, adhere to all speed restrictions in place and respect our crews while travelling through the roadworks site.

“Crews are there to make everyone’s journey safer while traffic management is in place and while our roads are made more resilient and efficient,” says Ms Pani.

“Speeding over a freshly sealed road can damage the new seal, lifting and flicking stones from the road that can, in turn, damage nearby vehicles or your own. To minimise the risk of damage to both vehicles and the new seal, it is crucial that road users adhere to all temporary speed restrictions in place.

“We are working hard to minimise the impact of works on road users, but some level of disruption is unavoidable. We appreciate the patience of all road users in Taranaki as we complete this necessary maintenance work on the region’s roads,” says Ms Pani.

Further information

More information on works will be shared with stakeholders once confirmed. Locations may be subject to change ahead of work starting on site.

Please note, the lists above are not complete, and NZTA will continue to communicate with local communities as soon as possible before work begins at various sites.

To stay up to date on work happening on the local road network, visit the NPDC website(external link).

For more information about the 2024/2025 road maintenance seasons in Taranaki, visit the NZTA website nzta.govt.nz/taranaki-maintenance.