The New Zealand Transport Agency is now half way through its largest ever programme of summer maintenance works in the Wellington region but there are still a number of high profile locations to be done, including Featherston town centre and Chapel Street in Masterton.
Next Tuesday night crews will be working to resurface State Highway 2 through the centre of Featherston. Originally this work had been planned to be done during the day but after feedback from the community and the recent high temperatures, the decision was made to work at night.
“Working at night minimises disruption to commuters as well as people getting to and from Featherston train station and business in the town,” says Wellington Region Performance Manager, Mark Owen. “Temperatures are also cooler at night making it easier for the road to ‘set’.”
Other work sites next week include the intersection of State Highway 2 and Bidwells Cutting just south of Greytown (day works), the south end of Carterton before the start of the passing lanes (night) and the approach to Tauherenikau Bridge on State Highway 53 (day). There is also ongoing work on the Rimutaka Hill Road.
Work on sections of Chapel Street is planned for the week commencing February 15th, and will be done at night. As with all roadworks, if bad weather strikes work will be postponed.
“Certainly the very high temperatures experienced over recent weeks have made the job of repairing and resurfacing the road challenging and we want to thank motorists for their patience and understanding as we do this important work. We know roadworks can be a bit of a headache for motorists, but resealing the roads keeps motorists and their passengers safe on our highways.”
Mark Owen said drivers were likely to encounter roadwork sites on the state highway network throughout the summer, and should allow time for potential delays.
Traffic management, including some speed restrictions, would be in place from time to time and motorists should plan ahead and leave extra time for their journeys, Mr Owen said.
He said it was crucial motorists observed the speed restrictions. "The speed restrictions are there to protect both drivers and the road workers, so please stick to them no matter what - if it says 30km/h, then that's the speed limit.
"Speed restrictions also help to prevent windscreen damage, which tends to arise from people driving too fast through roadworks' sites and flicking up loose chips into other vehicles.”
People can visit www.nzta.govt.nz/summerjourneys(external link) for up-to-date information on road works and detours in the region they are in, or travelling to.
They can also find out by calling 0800 444 449 (0800 4 HIGHWAYS) or following NZTA on Facebook or Twitter.
