Five weeks of night work to resurface a section of SH1 in Ashburton is due to start from Sunday, 30 March through to around 9 May. Although the work’s biggest impacts will be experienced overnight after 8pm, this work will slow down traffic during the daytimes also, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

Crews will be renewing the asphalt on SH1 West St from the SH77 intersection at Moore St to the Ashburton River Bridge in three stages, says Chris Chambers, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA in Mid Canterbury.

“Crews will be working on SH1 from 8pm each night through to 6am each morning. Detours will be available for all traffic but there will be delays at times,” he says. (See map below)

A changing range of traffic management, night-time work will affect daytime journeys

“People need to be aware that traffic management will change over the five weeks,” says Mr Chambers. “It will range from Stop/Go, to highway closures and local road detours, each night between 8pm and 6am. People need to build in extra time along this section of SH1 West St.”

He advises allowing an extra 30 minutes if you are travelling through Ashburton after 8pm – and if possible, avoid travelling during the typical morning and afternoon peaks. “We acknowledge that even though we are completing the most impactful work at night, the work site will cause congestion and delays in the area during daytime.”

The three stages:

• Three-and-a-half weeks of night closures of SH1 West St from the SH77 / Moore St intersection to South Street. Detour via Walnut Ave, Chalmers Ave and South St.
• Two nights of closures at the SH1 and SH77/Moore St intersection. SH77 detoured via Oak Grove and Walnut Ave. SH1 detoured via Walnut Ave, Chalmers Ave and South St.
• One week of night-time Stop/Go on SH1 from South St to the Ashburton River Bridge.

The State Highway will be reopened each day at 6am, under temporary speed limits with reduced lane widths.

Easter no night work

There will be no work undertaken over Easter Weekend – Friday 18 April through to Easter Monday, 21 April.

While the road is closed, KiwiRail will take the opportunity to complete maintenance work on the SH1 level rail crossing prior to the resurfacing. This will reduce disruptions around further works being required in the immediate future.

NZTA thanks all night-time drivers for taking care around the work site and on the detour routes when they are being used, says Mr Chambers. “We only have a few short weeks left before autumn temperatures make this kind of project unviable, so crews will be doing their best to complete it as fast as they can.”

Asphalt layer cake

• Around 6,000 tons of asphalt will be placed in three layers - two structural layers and a top/wearing course.
• Overall, the area will measure 10,000 square metres, 250mm thick.
• Highways re-surfaced like this have a design life of around 25 years before they need future full reconstruction.

Work happening from next week (10 March) which will also affect Ashburton road users

Prior to the paving works, the Ashburton District Council will be undertaking maintenance and renewal works, replacing a 110-year-old watermain within SH1 between Kermode St and SH77.

Drivers can expect some disruption and delay with construction works in the area from Monday, 10 March while these works are completed ahead, and in preparation for, the highway surfacing rehabilitation works.

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