Temporary lane closure on Napier Road from 27 January

Once the lane closure part of the project is finished, work will continue on the shoulder until early April with a temporary 30km/h speed limit in place.

The footbridge was closed following subsidence and Taupō District Council has been exploring design solutions and funding. Project manager Nicole Clark says cofunding has now been secured from the New Zealand Transport Authority and a substantial retaining wall will be built.

“Our contractor Camex will be putting in a concrete foundation, steel piling and a timber retaining wall,” Nicole says.

“We want to restore pedestrian and cycling access here, but we also need to ensure that the roadway is stable going forward as it carries a lot of traffic and is an important part of our traffic network. The retaining wall is also being designed for a major seismic event. Because the team will be working quite close to the roadway and gully, we’ll have a detour in place so please allow extra time for your journey.”

Work is expected to be complete in April.