Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Contractors are about to resume essential maintenance work on State Highway 1 Weld Pass.
It will see three nights of full closures on the route in early October – meaning the highway will be closed to all traffic.
The road’s narrowness, and the size of the machinery involved means the road must be closed while this work is carried out in order to ensure the safety of road users and contractors, and complete the work quickly and efficiently.
The works are planned for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights (2-4 October) between 8 pm and 6 am.
Contractors will lay asphalt across the full width of the road in the middle section of Weld Pass and will carry out a sump cover replacement, signage and edge marker post replacement, guard rail inspection and general maintenance.
The closures have been timed to happen at night to minimise disruptions for drivers.
Although there will be a midnight opening each night to allow queued traffic through, the closure will create delays for people travelling between Blenheim and Christchurch. The inland detour route via St Arnaud, Murchison, and Lewis Pass is significantly longer and will mean greater travel times.
With other minor works being carried out on State Highway 1 in Marlborough around this time, it is important drivers, particularly those with bookings on the Cook Strait ferries plan their travel accordingly.
Works schedule
- Monday, 2 October, Tuesday, 3 October, and Wednesday, 4 October. 8 pm to 6 am.
- Full road closure – no suitable local road detours available. An alternative route to Christchurch is via the inland route – St Arnaud, Murchison, Lewis Pass.
- There will be one opening at midnight each night to let queued traffic through the work area. The northbound Lane will travel first, followed by the southbound lane.
- Road users must follow the instructions of contractors and obey all temporary speed limits and traffic controls.
