NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising road users of road maintenance and line-marking changes on State Highway 57 Aokautere Drive in Palmerston North, starting this Monday.
Traffic management will be in place from Monday (29 January) to Thursday (1 February), between 9am and 3pm while work is carried out on SH57 from Johnstone Drive through to the intersection with Old West Road.
At times, this stretch of SH57 will be reduced to one lane with stop/go in place, and at other times, a temporary reduced speed limit will be in place.
Road users can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.
NZTA wants to thanks all motorists in the area for their understanding and is reminding people to expect delays, drive to the conditions and plan journeys accordingly.
Crews will return to the site the following week for one day on Wednesday 7 February, weather permitting, to complete resealing work, which will be followed by line-marking.
At the same time as these works, when lines are marked, crews will be making minor safety improvements. These include replacing the existing right-turn bays with new turning bays and a central painted median strip.
Crews will also move the current pedestrian island slightly to align with the new central painted median barrier. Currently cyclists use the shoulder to ride their bikes, this will be formalised and marked as a cycle lane.
NZTA Safety Engineer Glenn Connelly says while these line-marking changes will not fundamentally change the way motorists use the road, they will improve the safety of this stretch of state highway for all users, making it safer now and into the future, with more urban growth planned in the area.
“It also makes sense to make the line-marking changes and improvements now when the road is being resealed and we have a blank canvas, rather than coming back at a later date when it would be difficult to alter and remove markings,” says Mr Connelly.
There will be no changes to parking in the area.
This work is weather dependent, and may be rescheduled if needed.
