Rockfall work at Nevis Bluff

Motorists can expect 10 minute delays on SH6 between Queenstown and Cromwell as NZ Transport Agency begins its autumn rockfall scaling programme.

The rock scaling occurs every autumn and spring with abseilers, suspended on ropes, inspecting the rocky face and removing loosened rocks that are hazardous to highway users many metres below.

The work is scheduled to take place over three weeks from Monday, 5 May, through to Friday, 23 May, 8am to 5pm weekdays, subject to weather conditions.

“We know these delays can be frustrating, but we’re asking people to be patient and to understand that they are necessary to ensure their safety, which is our number one concern,” Peter Standring, NZTA Maintenance and Contract Manager in Central Otago, says.

Abseilers working over the rocky schist faces aim to release rock, loosened by the ongoing erosion, in a controlled way when there is no traffic on the highway.

This work is part of NZTA’s ongoing monitoring and management programme for the Nevis Bluff, which is continuously monitoring movement and changes on the geologically complex bluff.

The Nevis Bluff is about half-way between Cromwell and Queenstown – 25 minutes from Cromwell, 35 minutes from Queenstown.

Work on the cycle trail, currently under construction, will be paused for a few days while the abseilers are overhead.

 

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