Resilience work strengthens Whangamoa Saddle

Resilience work on State Highway 6 over the Whangamoa Saddle has wrapped up for the year, making the route stronger and better able to withstand heavy rain, says NZTA.

Since late September, crews have worked on three separate sites along the critical transport link between Nelson and Blenheim. It follows similar work earlier this year to bolster the highway between Hira and Rai Valley.

Rob Service, system manager for Nelson Tasman, says crews have done an excellent job over the past two months.

“Contractors have constructed and installed concrete beams to stabilise the road, which will reduce the risk of washouts and underslips on this fragile section of State Highway 6. They’ve also improved kerbing and drainage, which helps protect the road’s surface from water damage.”

Combined with resurfacing work carried out during recent night closures, Rob says this stretch of the network is in better shape than ever.

He says it’s a testament to the team’s planning and hard work that the resilience work finished almost exactly on schedule, despite delays over winter and spring due to severe weather and challenging conditions.

Rob thanked road users for their patience while the work was underway.

“We know how people feel about roadworks when they’re travelling and appreciate they can be frustrating. However, bad weather this winter has shown how valuable resilience works like these are. They help protect the highway during severe weather events and keep critical transport links open.”

He says every step possible was taken to reduce the project’s impact on traffic.

“The steps we took – like working on one site at a time and stepping up our efforts during last month’s night closures for routine maintenance – meant road users faced shorter delays while allowing our crews to work quickly and efficiently.”

More information:

• The cost for this phase of the Whangamoa resilience works was $1.9 million.
• This work is funded by the Crown Resilience Programme – a $419 million investment package to reduce the impact of severe weather events on national roading networks. The programme includes $279 million for State Highways and $140 million for local roads.

Plan ahead for a safe journey:

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