The NZ Transport Agency will reopen State Highway 1 through Kaikōura from Friday, 2 March, following extensive landslip removal following ex-cyclone Gita.
State Highway 60, the Takaka Hill road, damaged in the aftermath of ex-cyclone Gita, continues to be opened twice each day – 7-8 am and 5-6 pm, says the NZ Transport Agency.
The NZ Transport Agency is unlikely to reopen State Highway 1 through Kaikōura until the end of this week. This will be reviewed and the likely date confirmed on Wednesday, 28 February, 5pm.
The NZ Transport Agency’s South Canterbury highway contracts team reopened Speechlys Bridge, State Highway 79, between Geraldine and Fairlie on Sunday afternoon at 4.30 pm. Temporary speed limits of 50km/hour are in place.
State Highway 60, the Takaka Hill road, held up well to convoyed traffic on Sunday, says the NZ Transport Agency. The road was hard hit by Ex-Cyclone Gita a week ago with a number of sizeable slips and damage to the highway.
The Takaka Hill Road, State Highway 60, opened to a single lane with escorted convoys in and out of Golden Bay soon after 9am this morning in the wake of extensive damage wrought by Ex-Cyclone Gita just under a week ago. Around 750 vehicles had made the trip by 11am.
The NZ Transport Agency says while a complete rebuild of at least one section of SH60 between Riwaka and Takaka will be required following the significant damage wrought by Cyclone Gita, the immediate focus is on re-establishing single-lane access as soon as possible.
Drivers and passengers on State Highway 6 between Arrowtown and Cromwell faced long delays of up to an hour-and-a-half today when planned roadworks coincided with the unexpected closure of the Crown Range Road due to a slip.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Highway Highlanders contracting team begins a roading rebuild programme next week between Virgil and Raglan Streets in Oamaru along State Highway 1.
A key milestone has been reached on the $8 million State Highway 1, one-way system separated cycle lane project through central Dunedin, with work now starting on installing concrete traffic islands. These are designed to keep cycle lane users and highway traffic safely apart.
The NZ Transport Agency says that State Highway 1 both north and south of Kaikōura is unlikely to reopen to traffic until at least mid-next week, a week after Cyclone Gita. The likely reopening date for one lane of traffic will be reviewed on Monday, 26 February. Multiple road and rail sites are blocked with rocks and soil.
The inland road (Route 70) into Kaikōura via Waiau and Mt Lyford was reopened this morning and it may be the sole route in and out of the town for some days, says the NZ Transport Agency.