7 June 2017 | SOUTHERN REGION

Eve’s Creek Bridge, SH63, on Picton to Christchurch Alternate Route, overnight closures Sunday and Monday night

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.

Urgent repairs are needed to the approaches to the single lane Eve’s Creek Bridge, 70 km south-west of Renwick. The Eve’s Creek Bridge itself is not in need of repair, but there is severe pavement damage at the approach to the bridge.

“This route has had a four-fold increase in traffic, particularly heavy traffic and trucks, since the earthquakes and was not designed for the level of traffic currently using it,” says Tresca Forrester, Journey Manager for the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery alliance.

“Contractors are working in with the ferry timetable to minimise disruption and the Road Transport Association and freight groups are being kept informed.”

A road closure is needed to dig out the pavement and replace it with a bitumen-treated base course.

The repairs are being done two nights in a row, weather dependent:

. Sunday night 11 June to Monday morning, 12 June: 7pm to 6am

. Monday night 12 June to Tuesday morning, 13 June: 7pm to 6am

If it is wet on Sunday and Monday nights, this work will transfer to Tuesday and Wednesday nights, 13 and 14 June.

The detour will require people to instead travel through Nelson and come out at Renwick/Blenheim, or travelling south via Nelson, where SH63 meets SH6 at Kawatiri Junction. This will add about 80km or an hour to the trip.

“Thanks to everyone who normally drives this route overnight who will be inconvenienced this weekend and thanks to everyone for driving safely on the Picton to Christchurch Alternate Route,” says Ms Forrester.

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