Residents and visitors to Greymouth are being reminded to prepare for daily closures of Cobden Bridge next week, as work is carried out for public safety.
After a weather postponement, the closures are scheduled to happen from 10am to 2pm, Monday 8 December to Thursday 11 December. Because poor weather is currently forecast for Monday, the closures will potentially be shifted by a day, to run from Tuesday 9 December to Friday 12 December. A decision on this will be made on Monday.
The closures will allow crews to safely carry out rock scaling and remove hazards from the cliff face at the intersection of State Highways 6 and 7 and the bridge. All motor vehicle traffic will be detoured through Stillwater (see map below).
This series of short, sharp closures is considered preferrable to partial or intermittent closures over an extended period of time.
Any further changes will be notified in advance. We thank people for their patience.
UPDATE: 28 November – Cobden Bridge closures postponed due to weather
The bridge was scheduled to close from 10am to 2pm, Tuesday 2 December through to Friday 5 December, to allow crews to safely carry out rock scaling and remove hazards from the cliff face at the intersection of State Highways 6 and 7 and the bridge. All motor vehicle traffic was to be detoured through Stillwater.
The expected wet conditions next week mean it will be unsafe for the work to be carried out as planned.
This work has been rescheduled for the following week, and is now due to take place from Monday 8 December to Thursday 11 December, with the closures from 10am to 2pm each day.
If there are any further schedule changes required, we will provide notification in advance. We thank people for their patience.
13 November – ‘Short, sharp’ bridge closures to improve safety, avoid longer impacts
From Tuesday 2 December through to Friday 5 December, contractors for the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) are scheduled to carry out essential rock scaling on the cliff face at the intersection of State Highways 6 and 7 and the Cobden Bridge.
Weather-permitting, the bridge is due to be fully closed each day between 10am and 2pm. People walking and cycling will still be able to use the bridge, accessing via Mawhera Quay only.
“During these closures, all traffic will be detoured through Stillwater, which is expected to add approximately 27 minutes to a one-way trip,” says NZTA maintenance contract manager for the West Coast, Moira Whinham.
“We appreciate that this will be a real inconvenience for some people, but the detour offers a similar or slightly shorter travel time compared to waiting at the bridge.”
“A partial or intermittent closure approach makes the disruption more unpredictable, as well as extending the project timeframe and adding more cost to the project. Overall, we feel a short, sharp, predicable closure for a few days – rather than over several weeks – is better for everyone to get this essential work done.”
“Fully closing the bridge also means we can complete inspections and the Grey District Council can begin some preparatory work for the Cobden wastewater upgrade at the same time.”
The rock scaling work involves the removal of loose or unstable rocks from the cliff face to prevent rockfalls onto the road.
“An initial inspection of the cliffs at the southern end of the Cobden Bridge has been completed, and some smaller rocks have been removed,” Miss Whinham says.
“However, significantly larger blocks remain. Because of their size and the associated risks, more time and space are required to safely manage the work to remove them. The potential for rocks to bounce beyond the traffic island – something that has occurred during previous scaling – means the entire intersection must be closed to create a safe working zone and protect both workers and the public.”
“We thank people in advance for their patience and understanding as we get through this work.”
If the schedule for the work and closures changes, notice will be provided. Stay up to date at our Journey Planner site.
Journey Planner(external link)
