Five weeks of night closures for SH1 resurfacing in Ashburton

Motorists travelling through Ashburton are being warned to expect significant disruptions as night work begins on a major section of State Highway 1 (SH1) from the end of March.

NZ Transport Agency said the resurfacing work will run from Sunday 30 March through to around 9 May, with crews renewing the asphalt on West Street (SH1) between the SH77 intersection at Moore Street and the Ashburton River Bridge.

While the most disruptive work will take place overnight between 8pm and 6am, NZTA said daytime travellers should also prepare for slower journeys due to traffic management in the area.

Chris Chambers, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA in Mid Canterbury, said detours will be in place, but delays are unavoidable.

“People need to be aware that traffic management will change over the five weeks. It will range from Stop/Go controls to full highway closures and local road detours each night. We encourage everyone to allow extra travel time — up to 30 minutes after 8pm — and to avoid peak travel times where possible,” Chambers said.

Work schedule:

•Three-and-a-half weeks of night closures from the SH77/Moore Street intersection to South Street, with detours via Walnut Avenue, Chalmers Avenue and South Street.

•Two nights of closures at the SH1 and SH77/Moore Street intersection, with SH77 detoured via Oak Grove and Walnut Avenue, and SH1 via Walnut Avenue, Chalmers Avenue and South Street.

•One week of night-time Stop/Go traffic controls from South Street to the Ashburton River Bridge.

Each morning by 6am, SH1 will reopen under temporary speed limits and reduced lane widths.

There will be a pause in night work over Easter Weekend, from Friday 18 April through to Easter Monday, 21 April.

While SH1 is closed overnight, KiwiRail will take the opportunity to complete maintenance on the SH1 rail crossing to prevent future disruptions.

In addition, starting Monday 10 March, Ashburton District Council will begin replacing a 110-year-old watermain on SH1 between Kermode Street and SH77, which is expected to cause some daytime disruptions ahead of the resurfacing works.

The resurfacing will involve laying 6,000 tonnes of asphalt over 10,000 square metres, with a total depth of 250 millimetres. The work is expected to give the highway a lifespan of around 25 years before major reconstruction is needed.