Pedestrians and cyclists should be prepared for potential disruption as work begins next week on separating a shared path from traffic at Punakaiki on the West Coast.

Contractors working on behalf of New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi are due to start installing traffic separators on the path alongside State Highway 6 between Truman Track and the Pororari River.

This is the first phase of work to improve delineation between the shared path and highway carriageway, and is expected to take eight weeks, weather dependent.  

Temporary traffic management will be in place at the road shoulder and path users will be escorted through the work area. Users are thanked for their patience while the team carries out this work.

The remaining work, line marking and signage, will occur later in the year, and is expected to be completed by September.