Time will stop for Civic House’s clock tower for three weeks on 3 May, as the clock face and tower shaft undergo renewal and maintenance work.

From 3 May, scaffolding will be installed around the clock tower while repairs are made to improve the water-tightness of the tower shaft and replace some internal steelwork.

While this work is carried out, the clock will also be refreshed, and the hands and drive mechanisms from all four faces removed for inspection and renewal. To improve the clock’s readability, its matte black hands will be repainted in a patent black, and the glass panes, currently mismatched, replaced to give the clock a uniformly white face.

As the scaffolding is put up, a section of Halifax Street, from Burger King to the intersection of Halifax and Trafalgar Streets, will be closed. The Burger King entry/exit will remain open. The closure will take place from 6.30pm to 6am every evening from 3 May to 6 May.

The works are expected to be finished by early June, and at that time the same stretch of road will be closed again from 6.30pm to 6am while the scaffolding is dismantled. This is expected to take place between 6 June to 9 June, but this may vary depending on the amount of work required.

During these closure periods, the footpath outside Civic House on the Halifax Street side will also be closed.

Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis said; “It won’t be the same without hearing the bells tolling, but this is a good opportunity to take care of this part of our city’s heritage. The work to improve water tightness of the tower is essential, and when we’re finished with the clock face it should be easier and clearer to read.”

Further details of the project are available at https://shape.nelson.govt.nz/maintaining-clock-tower.

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