24 November 2017 | SOUTHERN REGION

State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura, extra delays on Hundalees as work intensifies for SH1 reopening

Drivers using State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura should allow four hours for the trip to or from Christchurch as work intensifies leading into the 15 Decemberopening of the highway north and south.

The shortest journey to and from Kaikoura for the next few weeks will be via the Inland Road (Route 70, through Waiau and Mt Lyford) which currently takes around three hours.

A further significant ramp up of work on the Hundalees, the hills south of Oaro, to complete road retaining wall repairs, means there are now several one-lane worksites with stop/go control adding to overall travel times. The highway has limited hours* of opening currently so crews can work on the slip sites south of Peketa with minimal traffic interruptions.

NZ Transport Agency Journey Manager, Tresca Forrester, says this ramp up is part of the ‘final big push’ on all SH1 earthquake repair sites to get as much done as possible before the highway reopens to the north and south on 15 December.

“The Hundalee retaining walls require extensive construction with cranes working in one of the narrow lanes to install large steel beams and timber walls behind the damaged gabion retaining walls,” says Ms Forrester.

“The Inland Road via Waiau, while winding and more challenging to drive, is currently providing reliable travel times of around three hours. While there is ongoing road maintenance and repair work along this route also, the delays on this road are much shorter than on SH1 south currently.

“NCTIR (the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery team) recognises the impact of these long delays on people’s patience using this stretch of SH1. That is why we recommend people make an informed choice on the best way for them to get to and from Kaikoura for the next few weeks. We think the Inland Road (Route 70) is a good travel alternative.”

*Reminder: SH1 south of Kaikoura – open/closed schedule between Goose Bay and Peketa

State Highway 1 between Goose Bay and Peketa has a schedule of days when the road is either open or closed to the public.

Multiple slip resilience work is being completed in this section of narrow coastal corridor. Drivers need to check the open/closed schedule before travelling onwww.nzta.govt.nz/traffic or phone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

Alternatively motorists can use the Inland Road via Waiau (Route 70) which is open 24/7.

• This week: Monday 20 November – Friday 24 November (inclusive): SH1 south of Kaikoura between Goose Bay and Peketa is closed to the public.

• This weekend: Saturday 25 November – Sunday 26 November (inclusive): SH1 south of Kaikoura between Goose Bay and Peketa is open to the public7am-8pm (closed overnight).

• Monday 27 November – Friday 1 December (inclusive): SH1 south of Kaikoura between Goose Bay and Peketa is closed to the public.

The weekly Kaikoura earthquake Bulletin, available on this page, provides updates on highway openings and schedules leading into the 15 December full highway opening:

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/kaikoura-earthquake-response/

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