Roadwatch: Expect traffic delays

Motorists travelling between Napier and Taupo are being advised to watch for and obey traffic lights, which have been set up on the approach to the Mohaka Bridge, about 12km north of Te Pohue.

The temporary lights are in their first week of operation as a six-week refurbishment project is carried out on the bridge.

The surface of the decking is being upgraded, and when that is complete structural work will take place on the bridge itself. A New Zealand Transport Agency spokesperson said delays were unlikely to be more than five minutes.

Road surfacing work is also being carried out around Tarawera on State Highway 50 and slight delays are also expected there.

Similar work is also taking place at a string of sites along SH2 between Napier and Gisborne, mainly between Tangoio and Morere. Between Napier and Dannevirke, minor highway maintenance is being carried out between Paki Paki and Waipukurau.

Motorists are advised there could be slight delays, and are asked to be patient and mindful of other road users as there could be stretches of loose gravel.