The upcoming school holidays mean maintenance time for the State Highway 2 (SH2) Pekatahi Bridge.

Located north of Tāneatua on SH2, the Pekatahi Bridge will be closed for 5 days from Monday 29 September, to allow for essential deck repairs. This work is part of the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) regular quarterly maintenance programme for the bridge.

The bridge will close daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm, between Monday 29 September and Friday 3 October for bridge surface repairs. However, we need good weather, and the extended forecast is showing rain is likely – so plans may change. If the weather stops the team from sealing on Friday 3 October, it will be planned for the next fine day under stop/stop traffic management.

During the closure, crews will be replacing cracked surface planks, removing loose screws and clearing excess old chip before sealing. They’ll also be exploring sealing options to help reduce the roughness currently experienced by drivers crossing the bridge.

After the repairs are finished, the surface will be rough, and it won’t be a smooth ride. The maintenance we’re doing is to keep the road open and safe until the deck is replaced.

Bay of Plenty System Manager at NZTA, Sandra King, says that due to the narrow bridge and the nature of the work, full daytime closures are required.

“We understand this is an important route and that closing the bridge is disruptive. However, the closure is necessary to allow contractors to carry out repairs safely.

“We’ve scheduled this essential maintenance during the school holidays, when traffic volumes are lower and school buses aren’t operating.

“Contractors will be using the closure to its full potential by repairing and replacing broken or loose decking planks, as well as carrying out general maintenance such as checking surfacing screws and resurfacing” says Ms King.

A detour will be in place for all traffic; northbound using Tāneatua Road, Arawa Road, Hinemoa Street and onto SH30 towards Awakeri and southbound traffic will use the same route in reverse. This detour is expected to add up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV).

NZTA thanks Whakatāne District Council for allowing the detour route on their local roads and road users for their co-operation.