The 10 week closure of a section of Malaghan Road will commence from 7am on Monday 5 February, Queenstown Lakes District Council engineering general manager Mark Kunath confirmed today.

The $2.4 million project would involve some major earthworks, road realignment and rehabilitation over a ten week period.

"A project of this scale would normally take up to nine months to complete if thoroughfare was maintained. Given that information the decision was taken to close the 1.4 kilometre section of road so the work can be completed during a ten week window," Mr Kunath said.

The road would be closed from the Littles Road intersection to Tremains Corner. Both the Littles Road and Coronet Peak Road intersections would remain open.

The detour route for the closure would be via Littles Road, Speargrass Flat Road and Hunter Road adding approximately 10 minutes travel time over the Malaghan Road route.

The small number of residents living within the closure zone would continue to have access throughout the programme. The contractor Fulton Hogan, together with the consultant MWH New Zealand Limited, were very conscious of the need to complete the work as quickly as possible, he said.

Letters were sent last year to Malaghan Road residents, transport operators and potentially affected commercial operators.

"There will be inconvenience for both the residents and no doubt for people commuting between Queenstown and Arrowtown. However, the result will be an improvement in safety, which has been an issue for many years on that stretch of road, and reduced travel time," Mr Kunath said.

Prior to the closure, tree felling would commence from Sunday with some minor delays through until the full closure and detour was in place.

The work was scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2007.

ENDS

For further information please contact Mark Kunath 03 441 0499.

By: Sarah