Highway repair work underway at Round Hill, inland from Milton, Otago, get ready for single lane traffic
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will be reducing State Highway 8, inland from Milton at the western end of the Manuka
Gorge, the gateway to Central Otago, to one lane next week. The highway shoulder will be repaired.
Work will start near the crest of Round Hill on SH8 the week starting 12 October, 17 kilometres inland from Milton. It
requires the installation of steel piles to reinstate the highway’s shoulder/edge support, after it was identified that
the gabion baskets supporting the shoulder were rotating and failing.
Traffic signals will be used to control the single lane traffic past the work site, says Waka Kotahi Senior Network
Manager Chris Harris. “These signals will operate 24/7 until the shoulder is reinstated and two lanes are restored,
likely to be in late November.
“People using this section of highway may experience minor delays and should allow extra time for their journey,” he
says. “For their own safety and that of the road works team, we ask that people travel through this work site at the
temporary speed limits.”Labour Weekend temporarily back to two lanes
Two lanes will be reinstated between Thursday and Monday (22 to 26 October) over Labour Weekend to accommodate holiday
traffic travelling to Central Otago. After Labour Weekend, the team will return to the site to complete the remaining
piling work and reinstate the roadside barrier.
The construction work is costing around $300,000 and is being overseen by the Highway Highlanders on behalf of Waka
Kotahi.
Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for being patient and taking care while this important piece of work on SH8 is safely
completed ahead of the summer holidays.