Motorists advised to plan ahead if travelling over Mt Messenger October 12 and 13

Motorists are advised to plan ahead if travelling over Mt Messenger on October 12 and 13. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Motorists are advised to plan head to avoid delays of up to one hour if travelling State Highway 3

over Mt Messenger on Monday, October 12 and Tuesday, October 13.

SH3 will be closed at the base of Mt Messenger on either side for one hour on alternating hours between 8.30am and 5.30pm for two days while essential maintenance work, such as drain and slip clearing, and asphalt paving repairs, is undertaken.

Waka Kotahi Taranaki system manager Ross I'Anson says he appreciates the road closures will cause inconvenience and thanks motorists in advance for their patience.

"Unfortunately, there is no way to get traffic safely through the site while our crews are on the ground due to the narrow, constrained environment on Mt Messenger, so the road closures are essential.

"SH3 is a key route, linking the Waikato and Taranaki. With no viable alternative route for a lot of traffic, it's essential we maintain the road over Mt Messenger to ensure its safety and avoid issues that could result in longer road closures in the future."

He says they have scheduled the works for Monday and Tuesday when traffic volumes are traditionally lowest.

"We will have three crews working at once to get the work done as quickly as possible. When the road is open, there will be contraflow traffic management in place while traffic moves through in both directions with temporary speed limits in some locations."

Motorists are encouraged to time their journeys to avoid queuing for up to one hour. Toilet facilities and water will be available at either end of the road closures for motorists waiting in the queue.

Traffic through the Awakino Tunnel Bypass project site will also be managed to ensure the free flow of traffic moving north.

■ In the event of unsuitable weather, work will be postponed to Wednesday and Thursday, October 14 and 15. Please visit the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) before travelling for updates.