NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is gearing up for an intense 48-hours of work in early June to replace a culvert under SH6 at Te Kuha in the Lower Buller Gorge.

The work will require a full closure of the highway for 48 hours – from 7am on Wednesday, 4 June to 7 am on Friday, 6 June.

“A full road closure will allow our contractors to complete this work in just 48 hours, with crews working around the clock, compared to up to five weeks of disruptions for motorists if the work was completed using traditional stop-go traffic management,” says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast.

The timing for the two-day closure has been carefully considered – in between King’s Birthday weekend and the Matariki holiday – as well as before the worst of the winter weather typically sets in.

NZTA is urging people to plan ahead and to make alternative travel arrangements if necessary over the planned two day closure.

NZTA has engaged with emergency services in order to ensure that they are well prepared for the planned closure.

Freight and tourism operators, residents and the road user community are also being contacted to ensure everyone is aware of the work and the closure well in advance.

The culvert being replaced is located around 5km east of the intersection of SH6 and SH67. It will be replaced with a much larger capacity pipe, requiring a six metre deep trench to be dug across the state highway. It is not possible to build an off-road detour around the site given the river’s location.

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