Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The first planned closure of State Highway 35 at Rotokautuku (Waiapu) Bridge will take place next Wednesday 23 October between midday and 12.30pm.
During the closure, the highway will be closed in both directions between Bridge Rd and Thatcher Rd.
While the bridge remains structurally sound, repairs to the bearings and cross bracing are needed to restore the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and to improve its strength.
Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), will be raising the bridge by a few millimetres to carry out this work.
Repair work beneath the bridge has been underway for a number of weeks and will continue through to Christmas. Further 30-minute bridge closures are required with the dates and times to be communicated in the next few weeks. Outside of the planned closures, minimal impact on traffic is expected.
There are no viable detours. NZTA is reminding road users on this stretch of SH35 to plan for this delay or avoid travelling at these times.