State Highway 3 between the intersections of Kent Road (pictured) and Mangorei Road, will be closed to southbound traffic between midnight and midday for around eight weeks. Photo: supplied
Motorists and bus passengers are being warned to plan ahead for major roadworks beginning in Taranaki on Monday.
Roading crews will be rebuilding and resealing State Highway 3 at Burgess Park south of New Plymouth.
Waka Kotahi maintenance and operations regional manager Rua Pani said the work was expected to take eight weeks as crews digged up the existing road and replaced it with aggregate.
During that time, State Highway 3 between the intersections of Kent Road and Mangorei Road, would be closed to southbound traffic between midnight and midday.
The road closure would then switch directions and the highway would be closed to northbound traffic from midday to midnight.
Pani stressed that access would remain open to local businesses at all times.
Due to safety requirements, and the width of the machinery required to complete the work, the road was too narrow to operate two-way traffic in the passing lane area, she said.
Stop/go traffic controls during the day was also not possible due to high traffic volumes, which would result in significant delays and an unsafe build-up of traffic queues.
Pani said the road closures were planned around traffic flow patterns.
"We know this road has high traffic volumes travelling northbound towards New Plymouth in the morning, and southbound away from New Plymouth in the afternoon/evenings, so we're opting to switch the direction of the single lane closure at midday and midnight to accommodate those peak traffic flows and minimise disruption for commuter traffic, freight and public transport."
The road closures would be clearly signposted so drivers users could take an alternative route in advance of approaching the site. The alternative state highways were SH3A or SH45, Pani said.
The Taranaki Regional Council was also alerting passengers on the Connector service - between New Plymouth and Hāwera - and the R98 between Inglewood and New Plymouth - to disruptions to those services.
What you need to know:
State Highway 3 Burgess Park road closure
- When: From midnight to noon driving south from New Plymouth - detour via Waiwhakaiho then onto SH3A to Inglewood.
- When: From noon to midnight driving south from New Plymouth - no detour required.
- When: midnight to noon driving north to New Plymouth - no detour needed.
- When: Noon to midnight driving north to New Plymouth - turn onto SH3A at Inglewood travel through to SH3 between Waitara and New Plymouth and turn left to drive into the city.
Impact on bus services:
The lane closures will affect the Connector - Hāwera to New Plymouth and Route 98 - Inglewood to New Plymouth bus services.
Passengers please note the following adjustments:
The Connector - Hāwera to New Plymouth:
Northbound Services (5:50am & 9:25am):
Route: No detour
Delays: Possible delays from Egmont Village onwards
Northbound Services (12:15pm & 3:15pm):
Route: Detour from Moa Street, Inglewood via SH3A
Stops Closed: Purple Dairy, Egmont Village, and Coronation Ave
Temporary Stop: WITT stop relocated to 82 Leach Street (outside Mobil Petrol Station)
Delays: Expected 10-15 minute delays from Moa Street onwards
Southbound Services (8:00am & 11:00am):
Route: Detour to Inglewood via SH3A
Temporary Stop: WITT stop relocated to 195 Courtenay Street (outside Crazy Pumpkin)
Stops Closed: Coronation Ave, Egmont Village, and Purple Dairy
Delays: Expected 10-15 minute delays from Moa Street onwards
Southbound Services (1:45pm & 4:55pm):
Route: No detour
Delays: Possible delays from Egmont Village onwards
Route 98 - Inglewood to New Plymouth:
Northbound Service (7:30am):
Route: No detour
Departure Time: Depart 10 minutes earlier at 7:20am
Stop Adjustments: All stops between Moa Street and Egmont Village to depart 10 minutes earlier
Delays: Possible delays from Egmont Village onwards
Northbound Service (3:00pm):
Route: Detour via Egmont Road
Stops Closed: WITT/NPBHS
Temporary Stop: Near 1277 Egmont Road in Egmont Village
Delays: Possible delays from Egmont Village onwards
Southbound Service (8:10am):
Route: Detour via Egmont Road
Stops Closed: WITT/NPBHS
Temporary Stop: Near 1277 Egmont Road in Egmont Village
Delays: Possible delays from Egmont Village onwards
Northbound Service (3:40pm):
Route: No detour