Reminder: Night closures planned for State Highway 6 Whangamoas in February

State highway summer maintenance work will be underway on State Highway 6 between Hira and Rai Valley next month.

State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle will have three weeks of night closures from 11 February until 1 March.

State Highway 6 will be closed from 8 pm to 5.30 am, Sunday to Thursday nights, between Hira and the Rai Valley. No work will be undertaken on Fridays and Saturdays.

This is the first major work on the Whangamoa Saddle since the seven-week closure for flood repairs in 2022.

Contractors will resurface parts of the highway. They will also clear drainage channels and fix guardrails.

The work has been timed to happen at night and outside the busy holiday period to minimise disruption as much as possible for road users.

The road will be opened once per night at 12:30 am to let traffic through. Truckies and other drivers should plan carefully to ensure they meet this schedule.

Given the narrowness of the road and the equipment being used, the highway must be closed.

A full closure is safer for road crews and also allows the work to be completed faster. Doing this work during the day under stop/go would take much longer and create more inconvenience for road users.

New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi wants to thank drivers for their patience and cooperation while this work is completed. Drivers are urged to follow all temporary speed limits and traffic controls at work sites. They are there for the safety of the public and road crews.

Works schedule and location

• 11 February to 1 March. Sunday to Thursday nights, 8 pm – 5:30 am
• No work will be done on Friday and Saturday nights. The highway will be open, but traffic management and temporary speed limits will apply at work areas.
• There will be one nightly opening of the road at 12:30 am to allow vehicles through. Drivers must be at the closure points (at the weighbridge in Hira, and on the Rai Valley straight at Rai Engineering & Mechanical) by 12:30 am.
• Bad weather may see works delayed or extended.
• There will be other areas of work on our state highways across the top of the South during February. Please plan ahead when travelling.

Detour route

• The alternate route for drivers wanting to travel over night between Blenheim and Nelson is via State Highway 63 and St Arnaud.
• This a much longer route and will add more than two hours to travel times.

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