Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Resilience work on State Highway 63 at the Wash Bridge in Marlborough has finished in time for Christmas.
Contractors sealed the raised road on Monday, 16 December before heavy rain hit the area.
The new road surface was line marked yesterday (19 December), and both lanes of the highway have been returned to an 80 km/h speed limit in time for the holiday season
Contractors have been onsite since October raising the height of the road by 1.5 meters making the road more resilient and minimising the risk of future flooding. The team has also completed culvert improvements at the site.
While the work on the road is complete, contractors will return to the site early in the New Year to install safety barriers.
NZTA/Waka Kotahi thanks road users and the community for their patience and understanding while this important resilience work was completed.
14 November:
Work crews are working at pace on resilience works on State Highway 63 near the Wash Bridge between Wairau Valley and St Arnaud.
Good progress is being made on efforts to protect the road from flooding. The height of the road is being raised by 1.5 metres, and culvert improvements are being made as well.
Steps are being taken to speed up the project and contractors are now working Saturdays to ensure the site is completed and the road resealed before Christmas.
Stop/Go will operate Mondays to Saturdays, between 7:30 am and 5 pm. The road will reopen to two lanes outside of work hours, but a reduced speed limit will remain in place.
Road users must obey the lower speed limit. It is there to protect the road under construction, and to keep drivers safe.
2 October:
New resilience work starts next week on State Highway 63 in Marlborough, on the Blenheim side of The Wash Bridge.
Contractors will be on-site from next Monday, 7 October, with work expected to continue until early December.
They will raise the height of the road by 1.5 meters to minimise future flooding and carry out culvert improvements as well.
Making these improvements and increasing the highway’s resilience will ensure the State Highway 63 will be stronger and better prepared when bad weather strikes.
During the work, one lane of the highway will remain open under stop/go temporary traffic management. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will also be in place. Road users can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
Other resilience works are planned for Marlborough. They include State Highway 6 Canvastown at Racecourse Bridge, State Highway 6 Rai Saddle and State Highway 1 at Dashwood. More information about these projects will be shared before they get underway.
Works Schedule:
- Stop/Go temporary traffic management in place from Monday. 7 October to Friday. 6 December, 7:30 am – 5 pm – No work on Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays.
- The road will reopen to two lanes outside of work hours.
- A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place at the site 24/7.
- Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
More Information:
