Drivers on State Highway 3 are advised to expect delays, as work gets underway on Wednesday 28 February on building a retaining wall and culvert, on a stretch of highway between Te Kūiti and the SH3/SH4 junction.
“Visible cracks appeared on this section of SH3 between 2019 and 2020, which we were closely monitoring,” says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery for Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Jo Wilton.
“The cracks grew, and following an assessment, the cause was identified as a broken culvert and underslip.
“To fix this, we’re constructing a 50m long retaining wall and a new 825mm diameter culvert will be installed to keep the road stable and resilient,” Ms Wilton says.
The contractor will undertake establishing works on site this week.
While work gets underway, traffic will be down to one lane under stop/go traffic management while the highway is temporarily widened on the southbound shoulder.
Drivers should expect short delays at this site.
After the road is widened, it will be reopened to two lanes under speed restrictions for up to 3 months while the retaining wall and culvert are being built, with a few days of stop/go expected at the end of the project.
NZTA thanks people for their patience while this essential work is completed.
