The end of the school holidays’ first week brings good news for Haast Pass road users for this weekend and a warning for the wider South Island, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
South and Mid-Canterbury road users will start to notice more road crews and busy work sites from early October as the highway maintenance programme kicks off for another summer season. Pre-reseal repairs are underway at present, one highway area at a time.
The Lewis Pass, SH7, linking the West Coast and Canterbury via Springs Junction and Reefton is closing overnight in just over a week’s time, for road marking, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
The final phase at the Bayfair roundabout is underway, involving reconstructing the ground-level roads leading into and away from the Bayfair roundabout to bring them up to standards required across the project.
Remedial works are likely to take a week or two longer on State Highway 1 at Rangiriri and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises travellers to expect delays and watch for a changing road layout.
Traffic resumed on the Haast highway, SH6 through Makarora in Otago today with two escorted convoys at midday and 4.30 pm – 80 towards Wanaka and 68 towards Haast for the midday journey.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency contractors have been working hard to clear multiple slips and fallen trees that blocked highways in the eastern Bay of Plenty and have successfully managed to restore or improve access in most areas.
State Highway 1 at Te Poroporo, Bulli Point around Lake Taupō is closed this afternoon for the recovery of a truck and trailer, which rolled over earlier this morning.
A wet start to the school holidays is also putting a damper on travel around the eastern Bay of Plenty with a number of partial or full road closures due to slips or fallen trees.
Light vehicles and campervans will be able to travel through Makarora on the Otago side of the Haast Pass again today in two convoys at midday and 4.30 pm. From tomorrow 8 am convoys will be added in, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
