Site 7 foundation reached – construction of permanent retaining wall has commenced.

Spring has sprung!

The weather is warming up and the daylight hours are longer, making for much better conditions to carry out road repairs – and our team is working hard on State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill repairs.

Barrier strikes and repairs

A 1-night closure in September allowed us to repair the damaged guardrail at Site 11 which will help ensure the safety of road users and our team working beneath the barrier.

We ask everyone to please drive with care through the roadworks. Not only do further strikes to the temporary barriers create additional work, delays and cost for the project team, we want everyone to reach their destination safely.

Challenges on site

Earthworks on this tricky site have provided the project team with some significant challenges. Having to navigate deep gullies with variable ground conditions proved difficult.

Extensive shotcrete facings are applied against the existing ground, as excavations go deeper to ensure the road above doesn’t fall in on the work team below, and to provide stability to the single lane road above. This is challenging and time consuming, adding to project timelines and budget, but is necessary to ensure works are carried out safely.

We indicated in our July newsletter that we were hoping to reinstate two lanes between Sites 11 and 13 by mid-September. Unfortunately, because of the challenges mentioned, this is not going to be possible. The opening of two lanes at Site 13 will only be achieved when the retaining wall structure is in place.

Some good news!

We have made encouraging progress, with foundations for one of the five sites (Site 7) complete and work on the retaining wall structure underway. We’ll be working as fast and as hard as we can to get the whole road back up and running again as quickly as possible.

Preparing for summer

Christmas and summer holidays are just around the corner and while COVID-19 restrictions will impact international travel, we’re anticipating the roads will be as busy with holiday-makers from around the country flocking to the beautiful Golden Bay.

This may mean longer delays on the hill. Please be patient and be kind.

We’ll be back in touch before the end of the year with further project updates, including how we can help you on the roads through the busy summer months.

In the meantime, we thank you for your patience.

Find out more

Email us at takakahill@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/takaka-hill