Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency confirms that all non-essential work on state highways will cease from 11:59pm tomorrow (March 25), in line with yesterday’s announcement that New Zealand’s COVID-19 response will be moving to Alert Level 4.

“Capital works on state highway projects are not classified as essential services, and we have advised contractors and sub-contractors to make arrangements for work to shut down from tomorrow,” says Brett Gliddon, Waka Kotahi General Manager Transport Services.

Mr Gliddon says some critical state highway maintenance work and emergency works will continue, and staff will also be maintained in traffic control operations centres, to ensure that the state highway network remains safe for essential travel.

Waka Kotahi will ensure that all temporarily closed worksites on the state highway network remain safe for road users, and appropriate traffic management measures will be in place.

Mr Gliddon says while there will be an impact on the timelines for some projects, the effect of the shutdown on specific projects wouldn’t be known for some time.

“Our immediate focus is on ensuring the health and safety of workers and the wider community during this very difficult time. We are committed to doing our part as New Zealand comes together to respond to this unprecedented challenge.”

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