Driving on parts of our highways during the winter months can be treacherous, says NZ Transport Agency Canterbury/ West Coast Journey Manager Lee Wright.
KiwiRail’s upgrade work on the rail level crossing at Waipara, State Highway 7, part of the new Picton to Christchurch Alternate Route, will create detours for drivers from this Monday, 26 June until Thursday, 29 June.
People who use the road between Wanaka and Tarras, State Highway 8A, may experience some disruptions from next week. Strengthening work on the Luggate (Red) Bridge from Tuesday, 20 June, will require a day’s full closure to enable the scaffolding to go in place, followed by work at night to minimise disruption to road users.
Drivers on State Highway 1 south of Oamaru will need to build in extra time this weekend as specialist KiwiRail crews replace the rail slab and road approaches at the Maheno rail level crossing.
A regular weekly schedule of open and closed days for State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura will take effect from next week as work crews from the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) team move into a new phase of work on the rebuild of the road and rail corridor.
The NZ Transport Agency says drivers need to be extra vigilant in the South Island, with the wintry blast expected to continue to affect roads and driving conditions in many areas over the next two days.
Lower speeds will remain in place on the Picton to Christchurch alternate route until State Highway 1 (SH1) north of Kaikoura reopens, after which speed limits will be reviewed again.
The NZ Transport Agency’s contractors will begin safety improvement work at the State Highway 1 / State Highway 79 intersection at Rangitata, from 12 June.
NZ Transport Agency contractors need to close one part of the Picton to Christchurch Alternate Route on State Highway 63 south of Renwick for two nights from this Sunday night at 7 pm. The detour via Nelson will add an extra hour to the trip.
The NZ Transport Agency is advising customers that the Ahaura Bridge on State Highway 7, north of Greymouth, will be closed for five nights for bridge maintenance from this Sunday, 4 June.
The NZ Transport Agency encourages everyone heading off for a break to “know before you go” and check the Agency’s Queen’s Birthday Weekend hotspots map. The Hotspots maps collate information from previous Queen’s Birthday Weekend journeys on the times where traffic is heaviest.
People who drive to and from Hanmer Springs will need to build in extra time over the coming three months, June to August, as rock stabilization work gets underway near the Ferry Bridge over the Waiau River.
The NZ Transport Agency is asking drivers to be extra careful, and farmers to make safety a top priority, as New Zealand’s annual dairy cow migration gets underway.