Brynderwyns closure: Police to enforce detour routes in Northland during road fixing

Detour routes for cars and trucks have been confirmed while work to fix the Brynderwyns is carried out.

Northland roading authorities are confident heavy trucks will stay off detour routes designated for light vehicles during the upcoming 10-week closure of State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills.

More than $5.5m has been spent on upgrading vital detour routes for the complete closure which will take place from February 26 to May 12, opening for six days over Easter.

Northland Transportation Alliance [NTA] general manager Calvin Thomas said staff were in the process of finalising the details of truck and trailer unit restrictions.

The restrictions officially banning truck and trailer units from Cove Rd and a section of Waipu Gorge Rd, would be publicly notified from today, he said.

“As these restrictions are placed under the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017, Section 16a (Temporary restriction of heavy traffic on roads) they are enforceable.

“Council and NZTA staff have been in communication with the police regarding increased presence and enforcement across the detour routes over the closure period.”

Last week NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced the detour routes cars and trucks must make while restoration work is done to repair last year’s storm damage.

High-productivity motor vehicles (HPMV) must use SH12 and SH14 through Dargaville, which is also the suggested detour route for all heavy vehicles.

Local detour routes via Cove Rd - through Waipu, Langs Beach, and Mangawhai - and Paparoa Oakleigh Rd are recommended for light vehicles.

Paparoa Oakleigh Rd route can also be used by all types of vehicles up to and including 50Max-rated trucks including trucks with trailer units.

Thomas said he was confident it wouldn’t be a repeat of last year’s traffic chaos, where Northland Civil Defence had to issue an immediate ban on truck and trailer units using the Waipu Cove Rd route between Mangawhai and Waipu.

The ban came after the road became blocked by two trucks stuck on a sharp bend, causing traffic to back up for several hours.

“Once we put the restrictions in, we didn’t have any issues,” Thomas said.

“There’s been a massive effort on detour signage and planning.

“There will be some frustrations and some instances where people don’t follow what they’re told to do but we’re confident we are as prepared as we can be.”

NZTA Northland system manager Kobus Du Toit said the government roading agency was confident the detour routes could handle the extra traffic.

“In conjunction with the recovery team, NZTA has a detour management plan in place with crews monitoring and maintaining the detour routes daily.”

Du Toit said it was a “hive of activity” on State Highways 12 and 14 at the moment.

Northland roading authorities are confident heavy trucks will stay off detour routes designated for light vehicles, which didn’t happen last year.

The recovery teams were currently working on two slip repairs on SH12, as well as levelling some uneven sites on SH12 and SH14 which was expected to be finished this week, he said.

“As part of the summer maintenance programme, 37 lane kms have been scheduled for renewal on SH12 and SH14.

“The Fulton Hogan network outcomes contractor has completed other pavement repairs and general maintenance to ensure that the network is ready for the closure.”

NTA maintenance and operations manager Bernard Petersen said over $5.5 million from local and central government contributions had been spent on getting the detour routes up to scratch.

Around 14 per cent of the detour length had been resurfaced, and 20 per cent of the total roading area had received pavement strengthening - 11.5km combined, he said.

Kaipara and Whangārei district council roading crews had put in a “massive effort” in recent weeks to get the Mangawhai scenic route via Waipu and Paparoa Oakleigh Rd detours in good shape, Petersen said.

They had completed around 300 repairs, from resealing and rehabilitation, to improving bridge approaches, road signage, line marking, drainage improvements, under slips, road subsidence, road realignments, vegetation, shoulder widening and water table maintenance.

Roadside detour signage was being “thoroughly updated” to ensure visitors to Northland, and locals alike, could easily understand and navigate the two alternate local routes in and out of the region, Petersen said.

Police could not say how they would manage the closure, if any extra officers would be deployed, or what sort of penalties truck drivers could face for not following the rules.

“We are continuing to work closely with our partners around finalising plans to manage closures and detours that will be in place with the Brynderwyns closure later this month,” a spokesman said.

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.