Overnight road closure at Victoria Bridge

STRENGTHENING work is about to begin at the Victoria Bridge, on the Queenstown side of the Kawarau Gorge, which will require an overnight road closure.

NZ Transport Agency maintenance contract manager Mark Stewart said State Highway 6 at the bridge would be closed from 10pm on Tuesday until 5am on Wednesday.

Another two full road closures would also be required and would be notified in due course.

Work would continue from Wednesday until midApril and during that time one lane would be open to traffic.

However, the road would be closed ‘‘24/7’’ to all categories of overdimension, or width, loads and overweight loads which had to deviate from their lane across the bridge for the duration of the project.

That was because of ‘‘space constraints’’, Mr Stewart said.

‘‘The work is required to strengthen the bridge and includes a significant excavation into the western abutment at the end of the bridge which will remain open until the end of the project.

‘‘The position of the excavation in the highway means that only single lane stop/go traffic management can be used while this work is under way.

When combined with the Nevis Bluff rock bolting project, also beginning on Tuesday, the Victoria Bridge project could result in up to 20minute delays for motorists.