Driving reminders for Canterbury and the West Coast passes
22 June 2017 | SOUTHERN REGION
Winter weather coming – driving reminders for Canterbury and the West Coast passes
Driving on parts of our highways during the winter months can be treacherous, says NZ Transport Agency Canterbury/ West Coast Journey Manager Lee Wright.
The MetService has issued a warning for drivers through Arthur’s Pass (SH73) to expect snow showers from late this afternoon to Friday morning. Between6pm today and 9am Friday, 2 to 4cm of snow may settle on the top of the highway, with lesser amounts down to 800 metres. Porters Pass and the Lewis Pass may also get small amounts of snow on the road. Drivers should travel prepared for the cold conditions.
The Transport Agency’s Winter Journeys campaign aims to encourage drivers to be safe and plan ahead to reduce the risk of crashes over the winter months. Planning ahead is crucial if drivers want to enjoy safe travel and avoid delays, says Ms Wright.
“Be prepared for winter driving conditions by checking your car and the road conditions before setting off. Use the NZ Transport Agency’s Winter Journeysand the Traffic & Travel web pages for helpful tips on how to make journeys safer & more comfortable this winter.”
Lyttelton Festival of Lights: The Lyttelton Festival of Lights Street Party is on tomorrow night, Friday, 23 June. Traffic restrictions will be in place on London and Canterbury Sts. Extra bus services will be available. Park and ride facilities will be available from several places with a gold coin donation. Details on places to park and ride and extra bus services on this page.
The Queenstown Winter Festival starts today, Thursday, 22 June.
How to stay up to date:
• Find safe winter driving tips at www.nzta.govt.nz/winterjourneys
• The key traffic and travel source which provides up-to-date information on weather and road conditions is www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Important information is also shared via the Transport Agency’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts listed here https://www.nzta.govt.nz/contact-us/connect-with-us/
• Drivers can also call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) to speak to the call centre team for traffic and travel information.
• MetService severe weather warnings here.
• MetService road snowfall warnings here. (http://www.metservice.com/warnings/road-snowfall-warnings)
ends