Transmission Gully already needs resurfacing work

Just over eight months after Wellington's mega motorway Transmission Gully opened, lanes have been closed for surfacing maintenance.

Several kilometres of the new part of State Highway 1 were coned off on Thursday as maintenance teams worked on the left lanes heading both north and south.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the work was expected to be completed by December 18, depending on weather.

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As Transmission Gully was a managed motorway, infrastructure provider Ventia was responsible for all traffic management, incidents, and maintenance.

A spokesperson for the project's builder, CPB HEB Joint Venture, said the planned maintenance work was "to ensure the top surfacing seal remained in good condition and to prevent any deterioration of the underlying pavement layers down the track".

They said this was "not unexpected or out of the ordinary given the recent heavy rain and traffic loading".

"Fresh chip seal roads are susceptible to high rainfall and heavy traffic simultaneously, which Transmission Gully motorway has experienced in the last recent winter and spring."

They said it was part of a continuous programme of monitoring the surface pavement and fixing issues as they arose to maintain pavement quality.

As part of the PPP to build and operate Transmission Gully, the costs associated with maintaining the motorway were part of its contract.

"And are therefore no additional cost to the Government or taxpayers," the spokesperson said.

Traffic was slowed to 30kph in places when passing worksites. Speeds may also be reduced in places afterward due to loose chip.

Each day there will be two crews working, one in each direction: southbound works would happen between 9am and 9pm; and the northbound works between 5am and 9pm.

They said "minor short delays were likely" with speed reductions in place when passing worksites.

"Motorists should follow all traffic and speed signage."

The work was scheduled as early as possible in the summer "to ensure a safe and reliable route for motorists", especially ahead of the peak Christmas and summer traffic flows, they said.

The pathway to completion for the $1.25 billion Transmission Gully project has been a bumpy road, but motorists were happy to be able to use motorway in March this year.

It was first proposed in 1919 but it was more than 100 years later that Transmission Gully became a reality.

Delays, cost blowouts, and construction issues have dominated headlines about the project for decades.

The Dominion Post resorted to publishing a strapline across the top of its front page earlier this year counting the number of days the opening of Transmission Gully was overdue.