The Franz Josef Waiho/Waiau River bridge on SH6 is being closed for essential maintenance in a week’s time, Monday night, 6 December, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

State Highway 6 will close at 10 pm, reopen for 15 minutes at midnight, then stay closed through to 6 am Tuesday.

“The deck of the bailey bridge has to be jacked up and the pier cap replaced onto new piles,” says Waka Kotahi Maintenance Contract Manager Moira Whinham. “The pier cap then needs to be welded in place and the deck fixed down, prior to opening the road to daytime traffic at 6 am.”

Emergency services will be allowed through but everyone else who uses the highway overnight needs to plan around this closure, she says.

“There is a lot of work to do in the time and we appreciate this will be an inconvenience for some overnight freight operators.”

The work is weather dependent so if it is wet it will be shifted to the next night. Electronic signs will update road users each day.

© Scoop Media