Motorists will be able to get a taste of the new State Highway One Avalon Drive Bypass this weekend when it opens to traffic for two days to help compact the chip seal.
The bypass road, between the Rotokauri and Rifle Range Road Roundabouts in Hamilton, will be open to traffic on Saturday 11 October and Sunday 12 October. A 30 km/h speed restriction will be in place and traffic will be directed through the site by onsite personnel and cones.
The coned traffic lanes will be shifted across the width of the bypass road at regular intervals during the weekend to ensure the road surface is even and that the seal is watertight and durable.
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Regional Manager Kaye Clark urges motorists using the bypass this weekend to keep to the posted speed, keep within the coned lanes, and to take extra care when entering the Rotokauri and Rifle Range Roundabouts from the bypass.
Mrs Clark says, “As both these roundabouts have been operating for some time without the bypass open, other road users may not be expecting traffic to access the roundabout from this road. Motorists using the bypass this weekend will need to make sure opposing traffic is aware of their presence before they enter the roundabouts.”
The Avalon Drive Bypass will be closed to traffic again on Monday for several days to enable road sweeping, road marking and asphalt surfacing of the Forest Lake Road bridge deck. Once this is completed, the bypass will be permanently opened to traffic with some initial temporary speed restrictions in place.
NZTA is expecting to permanently open the Avalon Drive Bypass to traffic on Friday 17 October.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will officially mark the completion of the Avalon Drive Bypass project, on Wednesday 29 October 2008.
