State Highway 1 between Taupō and Tokoroa will be closed near Atiamuri in early December to allow for urgent repairs to a bridge.
Work will start on 27 November. Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
An underground stream is threatening to undermine the southern abutment of the Mangaharakeke Bridge, just north of Atiamuri Village.
The road will be closed for six days from 2 December to allow for repair work.
Work will start on 27 November and for short-periods SH1 will be reduced to one-lane while equipment is unloaded. Temporary speed limits will also be in place.
While the road is closed traffic will be diverted along State Highways 30 and 32, via Whakamaru.
NZTA spokesperson Rob Campbell said drivers in the area should expect delays and take alternative routes to avoid SH1 where possible.
"The detour is expected to add approximately 20 minutes to a journey between Taupō and Tokoroa, so please allow extra time for your journey and be patient on the roads."
The detour is expected to add approximately 20 minutes to a journey between Taupō and Tokoroa. Photo: Supplied/NZ Transport Agency
Once SH1 is reopened, there will be a further four days of work, which may include further brief lane closures and potentially a period of full closure, depending on progress.
The Transport Agency said the bridge was being inspected daily to ensure that it's safe for traffic to continue to use it.
"We appreciate how important it is to get traffic back on SH1 as soon as we can, however we are balancing this against ensuring we do the best job possible to repair the bridge," Mr Campbell said.
The agency said that drivers travelling between Tokoroa and Turangi can use SH32 and SH41 on the western side of Lake Taupō, but were advised that the road across the Whakamaru Dam was down to one-lane with traffic lights, and delays can be expected.
Mercury Energy, which owns the dam and the road across it, is currently undergoing a standard maintenance programme on the dam's infrastructure until mid-December.
