Takaka Hill to open round clock
It’s the news many Golden Bay businesses and residents have been waiting for - the Takaka Hill is to open all day and night from tomorrow.
The New Zealand Transport Agency’s system manager Frank Porter said barring further slips or incidents, the road would be open 24/7 from tomorrow at 6am.
‘‘Crews have made good progress in getting this important hill highway into Golden Bay to a state where all drivers will be able to safely use the one-way sections with the aid of manual traffic management (stop/go) and/or with traffic lights,’’ he said.
‘‘However, we need to remind everyone that there are narrow sections and all drivers, riders and road users need to be vigilant through this winter until the road is back to its more usual width.’’
The only road to Golden Bay, State Highway 60, has only been open to managed convoys during weekdays, with longer hours on Sundays, after the road was battered by ex-Cyclone Gita at the end of February. Convoy hours were extended in March, and the road was open during daytime at Easter.
Porter said the transport agency and crews did not underestimate the inconvenience limited access to Takaka Hill caused many local people and businesses.
‘‘It was great to see so many people visiting Golden Bay for Easter with between 1800 and 2,000 vehicles making the trip safely each day, in both directions.’’ On Good Friday 2,161 vehicles went over and back.
Porter said with the reopening of the road to 24/7 vehicle access, the agency planned to have electronic signs to update people on any delays or issues.
Permanent road reconstruction and repairs would start next summer.
Cyclists would still be able to use the route but were advised to take ‘‘special care’’ as it would be a much slower.
Porter said drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists would not be able to stop between or within areas of manual traffic management or traffic signals.
Today the road is open for limited convoys from 6am-8am and 5pm-9pm.
Eagle, 1,355 tons, unload fish, MCQN; Janas, 1,079 tons, repairs only, Amatal; Voyager P, 321 tons, unload fish, LU3; Antarctic Discovery, 1,500 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Taudre, 224 tons, berth only, Sanfords; Thomas Harrison, 1,048 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Sea Ranger, 334 tons, berth only, CB; Tasman Viking, 372 tons, unload fish, Sealord; Yangtze Ambition, 21,000 tons, load logs, KQ. Expected: Seatrade Orange, 24,905 tons, containers, BQ, today; Morning Haruka, 26,900 tons, unload petroleum, MWS, today; Swakop, 24,341 tons, load logs, KQ, Sunday; Jeppersen Maersk, 30,166 tons, containers, MWS, Sunday; Spirit of Canterbury, 9,910 tons, containers, BQ, Monday