East Auckland residents taking to the road this summer and planning to use the Desert Road as part of their travels need to think again.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says the Desert Road between Tūrangi and Waiouru will close from 5am on January 13 for about eight weeks for maintenance.
As well as reconstructing 16 lane km (three sites) of road, improving drainage, and clearing about 15km of shoulders, the deck of the Mangatoetoenui Bridge will be replaced.
“The bridge, built in 1966, has a timber deck that is now in poor condition and in need of replacement,” says NZTA’s Roger Brady.
“This job alone would require the road to have been closed for about a month, so being able to do this at the same time as the other maintenance work due is a real win.
“It does mean there will be a period of up to four weeks from January 22 when SH1 is severed, during the time when the bridge has no deck at all.”
The detour (from north to south) is via SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1 in Waiouru.
It’s the usual recommended detour route whenever the Desert Road is closed and adds around 30-40 minutes to journeys.
To encourage safe driving on the detours, the speed limit near and through Ohakune will be reduced to 50km/h while the detour is in place.
Additional billboards and signage will be in place, and police have indicated they’ll have an increased presence on the detour roads.
South of the SH1/SH47 intersection to the beginning of the first worksite (south of the Tongariro National Trout Centre) remains open for visitors to access the Trout Centre but not SH46.
The detour needs to be advised earlier for those on longer journeys so they can use the appropriate state highways.
The “hard closure” is from Tongariro National Trout Centre to the Desert Road gates near Waiouru.
Within this hard closure where all the work is being done, there will be access for those travelling from the north booked with Kaimanawa Alpine Adventures, Department of Conservation sites and access roads such as Waipakahi Road or Tukino Access Road, except when the bridge deck is being replaced.
Those driving from the south (Waiouru) will have limited access up to the Mangatoetoenui Bridge.
Traffic control staff will be posted at the three closure points (Tūrangi, Rangipo, Waiouru). Drivers will need to talk with the traffic controller at the closure point about where they want to access.
There will be further works required to put on the final surface later in the year.
This work will, wherever possible, be done at night. The scheduling is still being worked through for when this final surfacing will be done.
The closure is part of a “huge maintenance project” which started in September last year near Tīrau.
NZTA says by doing the work under road closures, more invasive construction methodology can be used which would not be possible under stop/go traffic management.
It means SH1 will be quickly brought up to a higher standard.
