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Flooding in the Nelson/Tasman region lead to road closures. Photo Credit: Nelson Marlborough Helicopter Rescue.
Marlborough Mayor John Leggett says he welcomes New Zealand Transport Agency’s announcement yesterday that State Highway 6 would be fully open, with restrictions in place, by 31 August.
NZTA transport systems manager for Top of the South Andrew James says crews will be working hard throughout the weekend with the aim of re-opening key sections of the road early next week with temporary speed restrictions and traffic management in place.
“The scale of the damage sustained by highways and local roads here is huge,” says James. “They can’t be repaired to their previous condition overnight, but we know how crucial these transport links are to communities and businesses in the region, and we’re pulling out all the stops to restore road access as soon as possible.”
James says NZTA is optimistic that State Highway 6 between Havelock and Rai Valley can be re-opened with speed restrictions and traffic management by the morning of 30 August. It is also aiming to have the area of State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim open by 31 August, also with restrictions in place.
“We’ll continue working in partnership with the Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough Civil Defence groups to ensure that all of the needed safety checks and approvals from Civil Defence are in place for road access to resume.”
The roads were closed after severe weather last week caused damage to the roads, making it dangerous to travel on them.
Marlborough Mayor John Leggett says the efforts by NZTA and contractors employed by them have been huge and the re-establishing of State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson, which he describes as a vital link between the two towns, will be welcome once achieved.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all those working to bring that to fruition. While it has come too late for fans to travel across the hill for the Tasman Mako game tonight, we will be absolutely thrilled to be reconnected with our Nelson friends again. We know how crucial these transport links are to our communities and businesses in both regions,” Leggett says.
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