Highway opening hours confirmed

The earthquake-stricken State Highway 1 will open for 13 and a half hours a day while rebuild work continues.

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed yesterday the highway north and south of Kaiko¯ura would open from 7am to 8.30pm daily once the road reopened to the public on December 15.

NZTA earthquake recovery manager Tim Crow said the nighttime closures were needed because several sites would still be under construction.

Some surfaces would still be

Some surfaces would still be unsealed.

unsealed, and there would be lane closures and stop-go traffic controls on parts of the road.

SH1 would be closed overnight north of Kaiko¯ura between Clarence and Mangamaunu, and south of Kaiko¯ura between Goose Bay and Peketa.

The number of worksites on the highway would be reduced between December 15 and January 7 to help with traffic flow, but would ramp up again after the holidays.

‘‘We’re committed to reopening the road in time for the holidays so that local residents and visitors can make their way up and down the coastal corridor,’’ Crow said.

‘‘We want to ensure that people’s journeys are as smooth and reliable as possible over the holiday period, and we also want to give the road crews a welldeserved break. From 8 January we’ll be back working at full capacity to finish and improve the road.’’