Takaka Hill night closures

Two and a half weeks of scheduled night closures of the Tākaka Hill section of State Highway 60 are due to begin tomorrow. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says the road linking Golden Bay with the rest of Tasman District will be closed between 8pm and 5.30am for annual summer maintenance, including resurfacing and other work, such as clearing water channels. Due to the narrowness of the road, and to keep contractors safe, it needed to be closed, the agency said. ‘‘Overnight closures mean contractors can get repairs done in the shortest possible time, with the smallest amount of disruption for road users,’’ Waka Kotahi says in its bulletin. From tomorrow to October 20, the Tākaka Hill road is set to be closed nightly from 8pm to 5.30am between the intersections of Riwaka Valley Rd, on the Motueka side of the hill, and Aaron Creek Rd at Upper Tākaka. ‘‘The road will be open on weekends,’’ Waka Kotahi says. ‘‘This includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights – with the exception of [this Sunday].’’ If weather or unforeseen circumstances interfere with the planned works, the closure may be extended by three nights, from October 25 to the morning of October 28. ‘‘The road will be opened at 1am each night for traffic queued at the two road closure points,’’ the agency says. ‘‘Road users who wish to travel over Tākaka Hill at the 1am opening must be at the closure points by 12.30am. Temporary speed restrictions will be in place, and traffic management staff will control traffic. Road users are asked to drive carefully and stick to the temporary speed limits that may be in place while this work is being done.’’