SH4 between Raetihi and Whanganui to close for work on restoring two lanes

State Highway 4 will be closed between Upokongaro and Raetihi on July 4-5. Photo / Bevan Conley

Work toward restoring sections of State Highway 4 between Raetihi and Upokongaro near Whanganui to two lanes will begin as the school holidays start.

The road will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, and Wednesday, July 5 between 8.30am and 4pm so contractors can install a temporary culvert at the worksite between Hawken Rd and Burell Rd, where the highway is down to one lane due to a washout.

The shoulder of the road will also be widened to allow work to begin on restoring the highway to two lanes.

Rob Service, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency system manager for Manawatū/Whanganui and Taranaki, said closing the road meant work could be done faster and more safely.

“Our contractors will be doing this work next week because data shows there’s less traffic through that stretch of road on a Tuesday and a Wednesday,” Service said.

“We’re also confident the impact on schools and families can be further minimised by working during the school holidays.”

During the works, there will be access for residents of the area between Whanganui River Rd and Hawken Rd, and between Burrell Rd and Alexandra Rd.

However, due to the nature of the work between Hawken Rd and Burrell Rd, there will be no access through this section, except for emergency services.

State Highway 1 will be the alternative route.

Service said restoring the road to two lanes would take longer but could continue with temporary traffic management in place once the culvert was in place.

“While next week’s closures are in place, we will also complete several other important works, including dangerous tree removal, inspections of bridges and other structures and general maintenance including drainage, signage and patching works on the centreline,” he said.

Other safety work will be carried out, including motorcycle safety improvements on existing guardrails, the installation of new guardrails, and the installation of new speed advisory signage and indicator signage along the site.

The works are weather dependent and may be postponed at short notice.

“We want to thank all road users for their support and understanding during this time as we continue to work to strengthen the long-term resilience of this stretch of road,” Service said.

People can keep up to date on Waka Kotahi’s pages on Facebook and Twitter, through its Journey Planner or by calling 0800 44 44 49.