Rocks Rd partly reopened

Nelson motorists got a slight reprieve on Wednesday morning, with Rocks Rd partially reopened. But with only one lane open, residents are being warned to continue to expect heavy congestion around the city.

The section of State Highway 6 has been closed since last week.

The closure has caused significant traffic congestion in Nelson, as the highway traffic has detoured via Waimea Rd, which is also subject to roadworks. Some commuters have reported travel times of more than 90 minutes from Nelson to Richmond.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency acting national manager maintenance and operations Mark Owen said Rocks Rd would be open under strict conditions. It would be open from 8am to 7pm for northbound traffic only, from Tahunanui to the CBD, with a 30kmh speed limit.

The decision was made with Nelson Tasman Civil Defence and the Nelson City Council, based on geotechnical advice.

For safety reasons, the route will still be closed to cyclists and pedestrians.

Owen said geotechnical experts would continue inspections of the route to see the impact the traffic was having on the road and nearby properties. ‘‘If problems are detected, the road may close again at short notice, including during wet weather.’’

The decision to make the road one-way, rather than using stop/go traffic control, was made ‘‘to ensure the use of State Highway 6, Rocks Rd, is safe while houses in the area are evacuated and slips are still stabilising’’, he said.

Civil Defence and the council were ‘‘exploring options’’ to see if the direction of traffic could shift to southbound in the afternoon, to accommodate commuter traffic.

Restricting the speed limit and keeping the road for light vehicles only would minimise the impact of vehicle vibrations on the hillside and houses, Owen said.

‘‘At this stage, we do not have a time frame for when Rocks Rd will be open in both directions.’’

Because the road would be open in only one direction, congestion would continue to be a problem, Owen said, and Waka Kotahi urged people to continue limiting travel. Those who needed to travel should plan ahead and allow extra time.

He said roadworks would be ongoing across the region for some time, and people needed to be patient and drive to the conditions as the damage was repaired.