Section of Manuka Gorge highway down to one lane

The Manuka Gorge, Round Hill, work site. Photo: NZTA
The Manuka Gorge, Round Hill, work site. Photo: NZTA
A section of SH8 in the Manuka Gorge will be down to one lane for more than a month as the NZ Transport Agency spends about $300,000 fixing the highway’s shoulder.

Senior network manager Chris Harris said the work, being carried out 17km inland from Milton, would start next week and involved installing steel piles to reinstate the highway’s shoulder/edge support.

The work was needed after it was identified the gabion baskets supporting the shoulder were rotating and failing.

Traffic signals would be used to control the single lane traffic past the work site.

“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.

“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.’’

Two lanes would be reinstated between Thursday and Monday (October 22 to 26 ) over Labour Weekend to accommodate holiday traffic travelling to Central Otago.

After Labour Weekend, the team would return to the site to complete the remaining piling work and reinstate the roadside barrier.

The construction work will cost about $300,000 and is being overseen by the Highway Highlanders on behalf of NZTA/Waka Kotahi.

Add a Comment