The below is a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency update
Work to seal the road through the picturesque Tāngarākau Gorge is now back underway.
The project, which commenced late 2021, will see the unsealed 12km section of the Forgotten World Highway chip-sealed, making the road safer and more accessible for locals and visitors wanting to experience the iconic back country journey.
Due to the constrained environment through the gorge and the heavy machinery required to complete the work, the road will need to be closed through the Tāngarākau Gorge for periods while work is happening.
From 9 October crews will be onsite from 8am -5pm and motorists should plan for delays of up to one hour when travelling through the gorge.
Traffic queues will be cleared every hour through the day starting at 9am.
From 16 October until mid-December the following traffic management will be in place through the gorge Monday – Friday:
- 7am -8.30am stop/go in place with 15 min delays
- 8.30am -9am road open
- 9am -12pm road closed
- 12pm-1pm road open
- 1pm and 3pm road closed
- 3pm -3.30pm road open
- 3.30pm -7pm stop/go in place with 15 min delays
Between 9am and 3pm any through traffic will be stopped by a member of the team at the intersections of Moki Road and Heao Road so they can turn around before they reach the road closure. Residents will be permitted up to the road closure points at all times. Emergency services will be allowed through the road closure when required.
We understand this will be disruptive, but closing the road for these periods will enable us to complete the bulk of the work prior to Christmas and ensure we are on track to complete to the project in full by December 2024. If we carry out the work under stop/go only, the expected project completion date is June 2025.
We will also take the opportunity to undertake other works in the gorge during the road closures including repairing dropouts and building retaining walls. The retaining walls will achieve two lanes through the gorge and improve the resilience of the road.
To ensure everyone using the road is aware of the road closures, we will notify through a range of channels including media, signage, and flyers. Information will also be available on the Waka Kotahi website.
For more information on the SH43 Forgotten World Highway project, contact Waka Kotahi at fwh@nzta.govt.nz
