NZTA reports good progress restoring West Coast highway link
NZTA reports good progress restoring West Coast
highway link
The NZ Transport Agency says
it plans to start re-building the section of State Highway 6
washed away by flood waters near Harihari on the West Coast
later today (Saturday, 5 January) or tomorrow at the
latest.
“We’re making good progress with our
two-pronged attack to divert the Wanganui River back to its
original course, and remain on track to have the highway
reopened next Tuesday if the weather stays good,” says
the NZTA’s Senior Asset Manager for the West Coast, Mark
Pinner.
Flood waters that spilled over from the
river last Wednesday (2 January) swept away a 40 metre-long
section of SH6 at the northern approach to the bridge.
“Working conditions aren’t great - river
levels are still a bit high and the water’s pretty dirty
– but our contractors say things are going well to get the
water away from the washout and flowing under the centre of
the bridge again. Heavy machinery is cutting a channel to
divert flood waters, and further upstream we’re using
heavy boulders along the bank to push the river
back
“We’re confident that we can start
re-building the highway later today – that will be a real
bonus for the Coast community - but certainly that work will
be underway tomorrow,” Mr Pinner says.
Mr
Pinner says engineers also hope to make a detailed
inspection of the bridge later today, but he says the NZTA
is confident that the piles driven deeply into the riverbed
have withstood pressure from the flood waters.
“We aiming to have the highway re-opened by
midday next Tuesday – that’s our priority for all those
people and Coast communities affected by storm. The good
news is, we’re on target,” Mr Pinner says.
ENDS