Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency crews will be working on SH87, the Outram to Middlemarch highway, inland from Dunedin, this January. Road users will face delays up to 40 minutes while the work is being completed ahead of the new school term.

The work is scheduled from Tuesday, 11 January to around Friday, 21 January, 7 am to 7 pm.

“The Downer highway maintenance team will be re-laying the chip seal surface on an 8 km section of highway between Mahinerangi and Nichols Rock Roads,” says Nicole Felts, Journey Manager for Waka Kotahi.

“This is longer than we would usually seal in one continual sweep and means that road users could face up to 40-minute delays. We appreciate everyone’s patience while this work is being done and we hope to shorten the number of days affected by doing it this way.”

• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed restrictions will be in place.
• Overnight and after initial work has been carried out, temporary speeds will remain in place until sweeping and line marking has been completed.

Miss Felts says the team has worked with community and freight representatives regarding the way this work will be managed and got agreement on the shorter time period, with slightly longer delays for road users short-term.

“We have also taken into consideration holiday traffic, school bus routes and potential weather conditions when planning the timing of the work,” she says.

The work is likely to start on Tuesday, 11 January with the reseal being completed over three full days followed by reduced speeds for the remainder of the time while the highway is swept and line-marked. The work is weather dependant so may be delayed or extended if it is wet.

• People can email Downer at coastalotago@downer.co.nz or phone 0800 44 44 49 if they have any concerns.

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