The NZ Transport Agency says stop/go traffic management will be in place on roads in the southwest Waikato from next week as contractors roll out a water cutting programme.
Water cutting with a high pressure water jet removes areas of excess bitumen that have appeared during the hot weather over summer. It helps to improve grip and prolong the life of the road.
Transport Agency contractors will be working at around 230 different sites in the Waitomo, Otorohanga and Waipa districts over the next four weeks.
The stop/go traffic control will be in place to allow crews to work as quickly and safely as possible while keeping delays to road users to a minimum. Work at each site takes around an hour to complete.
Water cutting will be gradually rolled out around the rest of the Waikato region in the coming months.
Other construction and maintenance work continues at sites around the region and motorists are advised to drive with care and allow for delays when travelling.
Sites where delays are possible are detailed below to allow motorists to plan ahead when travelling.
The Transport Agency apologises for any inconvenience and thanks motorists for their patience.
For real time information on highway conditions and incidents visit www.nzta.govt.nz(external link) call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS or follow @nztawaibop on twitter.
For personalised information about driving conditions on their frequently used routes, motorists can check out and sign up to On The Move at www.onthemove.govt.nz.(external link)
A detour will be in place on SH3 north of Otorohanga on Tuesday April 21 to allow contractors to complete work on either side of the Kio Kio Bridge.
The bridge will be closed to traffic between 7pm and 9pm that night and a detour will be in place. The detour route is not suitable for over-dimension vehicles and has a height restriction of 5.2 metres. Heavy commercial vehicles are advised to use SH39 to avoid any delays.
The detour route is:
The works will be extend to Wednesday night if not completed as planned on Tuesday.
Speed restriction of 30km/h in place until April 21 to allow contractors to reconstruct a 1.2km section of highway from Whitmore Street south.
The work will be carried out Monday to Saturday and motorists should allow for delays of 5 minutes when travelling this route.
Stop/go traffic management is in place on a 200m section of SH3 until April 24 to allow contractors to secure a roadside bank, 8km west of Piopio. Motorists are advised to allow an extra 5 minutes to their journey.
Stop/go traffic management and a speed restriction of 30km/h are in place until the end of May, Monday to Saturday. Contractors are building a right-turn bay for north-bound traffic and realigning the corner. Motorists should allow an extra 5 minutes or consider using SH21 if travelling to Hamilton Airport.
Traffic management and speed restrictions of 30km/h are in place between the Kuranui Road intersection and Motumaoho Bridge until May 1.
Contractors are installing guard rails and a turning bay during daylight hours from Monday to Saturday. Motorists are advised to expect short delays when travelling on this route.
Traffic management and a 30km/h speed limit are in place near the SH1 intersection between Hinuera and Piarere until early May. The work is being carried out Monday to Friday. Motorists should allow an extra 5 minutes when travelling on this route.
A speed restriction of 30km/h will be in place until the end of the month.
Contractors are building a right-turn bay at the access road to the Keeley Reserve at Lake Karapiro.
Two separate closures are required overnight on Sunday April 19 on SH25 at the one-lane Hikuai Bridge, south of Tairua. The first closure will be from 11pm until 11.45pm followed by a second closure at 1.30 am until 2.15am. No detour is available and motorists are advised to plan ahead to avoid the closure times.
Work to continue until end of April. Anything that may impact on the road is intended to be done under night works. Temporary speed reductions are in place.
Work continues until end of May. Traffic will be managed through the site. Speed restriction 30km/h. Expect short delays.
The south-bound lanes of the Ngaruawahia section of the Waikato Expressway are currently closed so the final road surface can be laid. Traffic using those lanes is being detoured on to the old SH1 route via Ngaruawahia. Motorists are advised to allow an extra 5-10 minutes when travelling on this route.
Speed restrictions remain in place on SH1 and SH1B as work continues on the Cambridge section.
50km/h speed restrictions will be in place on SH1 between Golf Hill and Tirau Road until May 6 for road works. Motorists should allow an extra five minutes when travelling on this route.
