A stretch of State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway will close next month for a road rebuild.

The work, between Mangaparo Road at Lewisville and Mangatarata Roads at Nevins Hill, will be rebuilt under a combination of stop/go traffic management and full road closures.

The work will begin on Monday 9 March and is expected to take between 2 and 3 weeks to complete.

Crews will be onsite between 7am and 7pm Monday to Saturday. The road will close between 9am and midday and again between 1pm and 3pm during those days.

Outside of those closures and for the hour from midday, the road will be open, under stop/go and a reduced speed. Please expect 20-30 minute delays during this period.

Meanwhile further south at Tāngarākau Gorge, work will begin applying a ‘second coat seal’ to the road.

Applying a second coat seal a few months to a year after the initial sealing work is standard practice.

When we rebuild a section of the road and apply a chipseal finish we need to come back later to carry out a second coat seal. This locks in the seal to make it waterproof, keeps it stronger and safer for longer, and helps reduce the likelihood of flushing occurring. 

This was indicated at the time of the initial rebuild of this stretch of road.

This work will also be carried out under stop/go traffic management given the narrow, windy nature of the road. Please expect 20 to 30 minute delays as a result.

Forgotten World Highway is a popular tourist spot, especially now the Gorge has been sealed, and we will be doing our best to minimise disruption – we wish to thank all road users for the patience.