Waioeka Bridge clean-up to start next week

The Waioeka Gorge. Photo / File

Overnight works for the Waioeka Bridge in Ōpōtiki will start next week.

From Monday, the bridge will be cleaned and painted to prepare for a busy summer holiday season.

The bridge will be reduced to one lane between 6pm and 6am to minimise the impact on motorists and is expected to take more than three weeks.

The New Zealand Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty system manager Rob Campbell said scaffolding will be on the bridge from Monday morning.

The balustrades and bridge deck will be sprayed and cleaned in the evening.

Water blasting and painting of the bridge will take place throughout the week, with special matting put in place to ensure debris does not fall into the surrounding waterways.

The bridge will be reduced to a single lane with stop/go traffic management in place from 6pm to 6am over the coming weeks and will be closed to over-dimension vehicles.

Both lanes will be open during the day.

The work is weather dependent and is expected to take up to 22 days to complete.

Motorists can expect minor delays.