Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises that the Twin Bridges and the Awarua Bridge on State Highway 15 in Northland will be closed on two separate nights next week for technical inspections.

The Twin Bridges will be closed on Tuesday, 23 March from 7:00pm until 6:00am the next morning.

The Awarua Bridge will be closed on Wednesday, 24 March from 7:00pm until 6:00am the next morning.

Local access will be possible at each end of the structures, but through traffic will not be able to cross the bridges, says Waka Kotahi Northland System Manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

There are no local detours and all motorists are advised to use SH 1 as an alternative route. There are road works on SH1 north of Hikurangi, so plan ahead and allow extra time for the journey.

Each bridge closure is to allow a truck-mounted inspection unit to park on the bridge> It takes up all the road and allows structural engineers access to hard-to-reach components of the structure to determine their condition.

The inspections are essential for understanding the condition of the bridges and whether extra structural maintenance is required.

“The tests are essential to maintaining the bridges so they remain safe and resilient parts of the state highway network,” says Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

“Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience and understanding while we carry out this essential work.”

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

COVID-19 services update: nzta.govt.nz/COVID19
Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
Facebook Auckland: facebook.com/nztaakl
Facebook Northland: facebook.com/nztanorthland
Twitter: twitter.com/WakaKotahiAkNth
Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

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