Roadworks and road closures

Construction of a new bridge on Amberley Avenue, between Pencarrow Street and Caroline Crescent, is ongoing until early-2025.

During this time, detour routes will redirect vehicles down Pencarrow Street and Clarke Avenue.

Pedestrian access across the bridge will be closed 24/7 during the construction period, as the contractor is unable to provide a safe passage through the worksite and there is no alternative route available.

We’re upgrading the wastewater pipes on Botanical Road, between Featherston and Liverpool Streets, until mid-2025.

This project is being carried out by our Council water team and is part of our ongoing efforts to support city growth and improve the capacity of our wastewater system to manage increased flows.

As the pipes being upgraded are in the middle of the road, we’ll need to close parts of Botanical Road during each stage of construction. Side streets will be used as detour routes.

The project will be completed in five stages:

• Stage 1: Botanical/Featherston Street intersection (nightworks, from 6pm to 3am)
• Stage 2: Featherston to Brentwood Avenue
• Stage 3: Brentwood Avenue to Glasgow Street
• Stage 4: Glasgow Street to Coventry Street
• Stage 5: Coventry Street to Liverpool Street

We’re installing a new water main on Brightwater Terrace – from Napier Road to the entrance of Palmerston North Golf Club.

During the construction period, there will be stop/go traffic management in place to help you get safely around the construction area.

We had originally expected to complete this work in May. However, during construction we discovered that a section of pipe near the roundabout with Limbrick Street is in worse condition than expected.

While this has caused a delay, we’ve made the decision to upgrade this section now while our crew and equipment are already onsite. Doing this additional work now means we can avoid future disruptions and ensure the water supply is more reliable for the years to come.

We expect to complete this section by mid-June.

We’re carrying out upgrades to parts of Fitzherbert Avenue over the coming weeks.

This includes road repairs at the signalised intersection of Fitzherbert Avenue and Te Awe Awe Street, as well as an upgrade to the stormwater network from the Fitzherbert Bridge to Hughes Avenue opposite Fitzherbert Park. We’ll also be repairing some handrails on the Fitzherbert Bridge and doing some small patches of road repairs on Fitzherbert Avenue between Te Awe Awe Street and Ferguson Street.

Stormwater upgrade

The existing stormwater pipes are small, which makes the area prone to flooding during heavy rain. We’ll be increasing the size of these pipes to improve drainage. Work will be done during weekdays.

Intersection and road repairs

The road surface at the Fitzherbert/Te Awe Awe intersection is failing due to water damage, causing slumping tyre tracks, which means we need to repair the intersection before winter to avoid any further damage. We’ll be replacing some handrails on the Fitzherbert Bridge at the same time. Small sections of road also need to be repaired between Te Awe Awe and Ferguson Streets. These will take 1 or 2 days each and will involve a lane closure at each site.

The road repairs will be carried out by our road maintenance contractor, Fulton Hogan, and they will start in May. It will consist of a mix of day and night work. Most work will take place overnight from 6pm to 6am to keep the road functional during the day. Some work needs to take place during the day, such as resealing as it requires warmer temperatures. All work will take place during weekdays only, with no weekend work planned.

Traffic management

• Fitzherbert Avenue will have a temporary traffic layout, with all four vehicle lanes shifted and separated by flexi-poles to provide a safe workspace for water pipe installation and to reduce the number of traffic cones.
• Footpaths will remain open, but the cycle lanes will be detoured. People on bikes heading into town will be detoured via the river pathway or Victoria Esplanade and bikes heading to Summerhill will be detoured via Hughes Avenue.
• On-street parking will be removed within the affected area to enable space for the new road layout.
• The Fitzherbert/Te Awe Awe intersection will remain operational during the day, though speeds will be reduced as parts of the road will be unsealed at times. If Fulton Hogan are working during the day, the intersection will be kept open to one lane while they work on the other lane
• The entrance to Victoria Esplanade off Fitzherbert Avenue will remain open, except for about two days while we upgrade the pipes running beneath it.

From 26 May, Kahuterawa Road will be closed on weekdays to allow our contractor, Fulton Hogan, to carry out emergency repairs. The closure starts at the Kahuterawa Reserve.

Work is expected to be finished by mid-June.

This work includes:

• Upgrading several culverts
• Adding improved roadside drainage
• Stabilising banks

Once these repairs are completed, a grader will come through for a final tidy-up of the road surface. Grading is scheduled to take place each autumn and spring.

Road closure schedule:

• Weekdays only
• Closed from 8:30am to 3pm
• Open from 3pm to 3:30pm (travel window for you to get through if required)
• Closed again from 3:30pm to 5pm

Our road maintenance contractor Fulton Hogan is widening the road and intersection to improve visibility and safety for motorists.

Update - 22 May: Fulton Hogan now expects to complete the project by the end of June.

Fulton Hogan has encountered some unforeseen challenges that have required additional time to address.

One of the main issues is a significant amount of water was found coming up from beneath the ground due to the presence of blue clay. This layer of clay is quite shallow and does not drain, causing water to pool and damage the subsoil which the road is built on. If asphalt were laid on top of a compromised base like this, it would break apart and fail almost immediately. The additional time has been spent redesigning the drainage system beneath the road to ensure it lasts. These improvements will future proof the road, reducing the likelihood of us needing to return for further repairs down the track.

Watch video about blue clay in Palmy

During this time, the intersection will be closed 24/7, and detours will be in place:

• Residents of Hartwell Drive will need to turn left onto Kelvin Grove Road and then onto Ashhurst Road.
• Residents of Simpsons Lane will need to turn right onto Henaghans Road.

Heavy vehicles will not be able to travel past the Stoney Creek Road intersection on Kelvin Grove Road, nor will they be able to turn onto Kelvin Grove Road from Ashhurst Road, unless they are accessing a farm or property where they can turn around.

Linton Drain Road, from Lochmoigh Road towards Craws Road, will be closed from 7.30am to 5pm on weekdays to allow our contractor, Fulton Hogan, to carry out emergency repairs. 

Fulton Hogan will work with residents to allow access outside these hours, but there may be a short delay.

Work is expected to be completed in mid-June.

This work includes:

• Clearing out slip debris
• Building up the slip area with rock and aggregate
• Reinstating area upon completion of work

We are re-liming the Mangaone Stream Shared Pathway until July. Sections will be closed while this is carried this out.

Fulton Hogan is starting at the Rangitikei Street end and will work towards Amberley Avenue, closing each section as they work on it.

Motorists travelling on Pioneer Highway and Botanical Road are encouraged to allow a few extra minutes for their journeys in June and early July as a series of road repairs take place.

Fulton Hogan is first repairing along Pioneer Highway, from Maxwells Line to Botanical Road, before continuing similar work on Botanical Road starting at Park Road and moving towards Featherston Street.

Work will take place from 9am to about 6pm. It will repair cracks and potholes by milling the top layer of road and laying fresh asphalt. Each road will take about two weeks – weather dependent. The work can only be done on days with no rain.

Work is being carried out in small sections to keep these roads as functional as we can and cause the least amount of disruption as possible. Work on these streets will involve a mix of lane closures, stop/go controls or full closures depending on the section. All businesses remain open and accessible.

Pioneer Highway is scheduled for a rebuild at the end of our current long-term plan in about five years.

Sections in order include

Pioneer Highway:

• Maxwells Line to Amberley Ave – full road closure
• Amberley Ave to Monrad Street – full road closure
• Monrad Street to Botanical – full road closure

Botanical Road:

• Park Road to College Street – lane closure and detour (traffic heading towards Park Road remain unaffected)
• College Street to Ferguson Street – lane closure and detour (traffic heading towards Park Road remain unaffected)
• Ferguson to Church Street – full road closure
• Pioneer Highway to Featherston Street – lane closure and detour (traffic heading towards Tremaine Ave remains unaffected)

Upgrading Stoney Creek Road is in our Long-Term Plan – design work is ongoing this financial year, and our plan is to go out for tender/construction in 2025/2026.

In the meantime, we've temporarily lowered the speed limit to 70km/h and we will continue to address any potholes and pavement failures as they present themselves.

NZTA is responsible for state highways. Visit its website for information about the work it's doing. There's also a journey planner to help you plan your trip, including updates on delays, roadworks and road closures.