A hive of activity State Highway 1 Picton to Christchurch, particularly south of Kaikōura

With the summer road maintenance season in full swing and construction work continuing, multiple work sites are in place along the State Highway 1 coastal route between Picton and Christchurch.

In particular, south of Kaikōura to Oaro, the number of work sites has increased this month with several stop/go traffic management sites in place, the NZ Transport Agency advises.

“This may increase journey times,” says Transport Agency Network Operations Manager Tresca Forrester.

“We encourage people, particularly anyone catching an Interisland Ferry, to plan their journeys and allow up to three hours to travel between Christchurch and Kaikōura and five-and-a-half hours between Christchurch and Picton.

“Our crews have a big work repair and rebuild programme underway and combined with summer also being the best time for business-as-usual road repairs, people can expect to see more than usual active work sites and traffic management in place. As well as people operating Stop/ Go signs, some areas also have traffic signals.

“It’s a balancing act to schedule work to have a minimal effect on travel time while also ensuring the work gets done before winter. We understand these delays will have an impact on the community, the freight industry and all road users and thank everyone for their patience,” says Ms Forrester.

Drivers wait on the south side of Kaikōura last week as work continues at several different places requiring one-way passage:

Upcoming night work in the Hundalees – asphalt sealing at two places
Around five full night closures are planned for mid to late March in the Hundalees at Okarahia. The highway will be fully closed from 9pm to 7am with a detour for through traffic north of Peketa and at Waipara to Route 70 via Waiau. Residential and emergency access either side of the work sites will be available. More details will be provided by the highway maintenance team closer to the date.

• The Transport Agency advises drivers to allow plenty of time for their trip, especially if they are catching a ferry or are on a tight schedule, and to take regular breaks and share the driving if possible.

• Drivers should drive to the conditions and adhere to all speed limits which are there to keep everyone safe.

• For real-time travel information and details on SH1 go to www.nzta.govt.nz/p2c or call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey this summer. Keep up to date with:
• Traffic updates: nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Facebook: facebook.com/NZTAsouthisland
• Twitter Canterbury/West Coast: twitter.com/NZTAOCWC
• Twitter Top of the South: twitter.com/NZTATotS
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

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