Te Ara Tūtohu: Waitara to Bell Block

13 November 2024

Upcoming night closures on SH3 Waitara

Through Te Ara Tūtohu: SH3 Waitara to Bell Block we are improving the road to enable people and goods to get to where they’re going safely and efficiently.

Last year we rebuilt sections of SH3 before and after the Princess Street intersection to allow for the installation of flexible median barrier and to ensure the highway provides reliable journeys.

We now need to come back and complete a second coat seal on these stretches of SH3.

When we rebuild a section of the road and apply a chipseal finish we need to come back a year later to carry out a second coat seal. This locks in the seal to make it waterproof, keeps it stronger and safer for longer, and helps reduce the likelihood of flushing (the development of a shiny, black surface film of asphalt on the road surface) occurring.

To allow this work to take place there will be overnight closures in place on SH3 between Nelson Street and Bayly Street from the evening of Sunday 8 December to the morning of Thursday 12 December. The road will remain open to traffic during the day.

• 8-9 December: The southbound lane of SH3 between Princess Street and Nelson Street will be closed from 8pm to 6am the following day. The northbound lane will remain open during this time with a temporary speed limit of 30km/h in place.
• 10 December: Both the southbound and northbound lane of SH3 between Princess Street and Nelson Street will be closed to all traffic from 8pm on Tuesday 10 December, reopening at 6am the next day.

A detour through Waitara will be in place during these closures. The detour will add up to 5 minutes to journey times.

Access to and from Mamaku Road will be maintained during these closures. Temporary traffic lights will be in place at Nelson Street and Mamaku Road to ensure the safe flow of traffic. 

• 11 December: SH3 between Bayly Street and Nelson Street will be closed to all traffic from 8pm, reopening at 6am the next day. A detour along Princess and Bayly Streets will be in place. The detour will add up to 5 minutes to journey times.

In the event of poor weather, works may be delayed.

We understand that the closure of this section of SH3 and detour will be an inconvenience for the local community and everyone who uses this stretch of road.

During previous detours through Waitara we have learnt what works and what doesn’t. We are using that experience to guide how this detour will operate.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete this work.

More information

For more information on Te Ara Tūtohu: Waitara to Bell Block, contact us at w2bb@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/w2bb