Road work

Night-time road closure

Overnight road closure - SH6 Kawarau Gorge, just north of Goldfield Mining Centre

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) had hoped to wrap up the work by October 24 but now expects it to continue until November 7. 

Read more here

During the nightly periods of closure, the highway will open every hour, on the hour, and any waiting traffic will be piloted through a single lane at the site.

Motorists should prepare for delays of up to an hour when travelling through the area during the night.

Oversize vehicles or loads will be accommodated as long as they adhere to their permit requirements of notification, so that the crew can coordinate with the operator and assist them through the narrow corridor.

The work being carried out by Aspiring Highways, on behalf of New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, is to remediate the underslip at Scrubby Corner. This requires the pinning back, strengthening and reinforcing of the current crib retaining wall. This will be achieved by boring anchors through the existing retaining wall into rock and structurally connecting those anchors into the existing crib wall.

Upcoming:

Blasting into summer at Central Otago’s Nevis Bluff

Critical safety work at the Nevis Bluff, on State Highway 6 between Cromwell and Queenstown, is scheduled to take place over four weeks starting Tuesday 28 October, with the last day expected to be Friday 21 November.

Work will be carried out between 8am and 5pm on weekdays, subject to weather conditions.

“People driving on SH6 between Cromwell and Queenstown during these times should build in about 10 minutes of extra travel time as delays will be inevitable while the work is carried out,” says Peter Standring, Maintenance Contract Manager for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) in Central Otago.

“We know these delays can be frustrating, but we’re asking people to be patient and to understand that this work is necessary to ensure the safety of road users, which is our number one concern.”

There will also be up to five days where closures of up to an hour will be necessary for blasting work on a rock feature that has deteriorated over the winter period. Road users will be given as much advance notice about these blast closure days and times as possible.

The work at Nevis Bluff is part of an ongoing monitoring and management programme by NZTA, which is continuously monitoring movement and changes on the geologically complex bluff. Abseilers working over the rocky schist faces release rock, loosened by ongoing erosion that is hazardous to highway users below, in a controlled way when there is no traffic on the highway.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in these road reports is intended for general informational purposes regarding Central Otago roads. While all reasonable measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of the information, no guarantees are made regarding its completeness or currency. Weather conditions can change rapidly and may affect road conditions, rendering the information outdated or inaccurate. Always comply with local traffic regulations and take appropriate safety precautions.