SH1 to reopen round the clock

The earthquake-damaged State Highway 1 between Picton and Christchurch will be open around the clock from the end of April.

Work crews will be pushing for the next four weeks to make sure the road will be ready in time, with a short closure of the section south of Kaiko¯ ura planned for mid-april.

About 1 million cubic metres of material fell across the highway during the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in November 2016. The road reopened on December 15, after a year, a month and a day of intense repair work.

Night-time closures have been in place since then to ensure the safety of road users.

Some sections have been onelaned under stop-go control as workers continue to upgrade the highway.

The rebuild is being done by the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery alliance, made up of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), Kiwirail and several contractors.

NZTA earthquake recovery manager Tim Crow said the exact date of the all hours reopening was not yet confirmed, but people could plan to

"Another step closer to fully restoring the transport networks in the region." NZTA earthquake recovery manager Tim Crow.

use the road around the clock from May 1.

He said it was ‘‘another step closer to fully restoring the transport networks in the region’’.

The road would still have work sites in some sections, and there would be no stopping or camping allowed in the most damaged sections north and south of Kaiko¯ ura.

Crow said crews would monitor the highway at all times, and may close the road in the event of persistent heavy rain – which could happen day or night.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the news would be ‘‘welcomed by local communities, the freight industry and everyday Kiwi drivers alike’’.

He said the reopening would bring further social and economic benefits back to the region.