State Highway 3 at Burgess Park reopens ahead of schedule after repairs

A temporary speed restriction is in place on the Burgess Park section of SH3.

Work on rebuilding and resealing a section of State Highway 3 at Burgess Park south of New Plymouth has been completed ahead of schedule.

As of noon on Friday, October 18, the section of road was back to two lanes, albeit still under temporary speed restrictions, said Liesl Dawson, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency system manager for Taranaki.

The road had been down to single-lane travel, with the road closed to motorists heading south between midnight and noon, and northbound motorists from noon to midnight daily, since work began on Monday, September 16.

Dawson said roading crews had sealed all three lanes of the nearly 2km long site, and the road was now open in both directions. She said the road still needs to be swept and line-marked. This work will take place during off-peak hours and the passing lane won’t be reinstated until all line-marking is completed.

“We’ve worked as quickly, and safely, as possible to get this open ahead of schedule. Rebuilding the road improves the longevity of the network, the resilience and ultimately the safety and efficiency for all road users.

“We couldn’t have carried this work out ahead of schedule without the support of all road users, and appreciate everyone’s patience while these works have been completed. Thank you to all road users for your patience and support during this time.”

Dawson said it was important motorists stuck to the temporary speed limit in place, to help allow the new seal to set properly, ensuring its longevity.

“It is crucial that road users adhere to all temporary speed restrictions in place. Speeding over a freshly sealed road can damage the new seal by lifting and flicking stones that can damage nearby vehicles or your own. If the new seal is damaged by speeding vehicles, crews may have to return to the area to complete repairs to the damaged road surface.”

She said roading crews will return later in the season to apply a second coat seal on the site.

“This needs to be done a number of months afterwards to enable the first coat to set properly. We will share more information regarding these works once details are confirmed.”