School holiday time means maintenance time for the Pekatahi Bridge.

The bridge, located north of Tāneatua on State Highway 2 will close for six days for essential deck repairs from Monday.

From Monday to Friday, the bridge will closed from 8.30am to 4.30pm for structural work, including bridge surface plank replacement. It will close again from 8.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, July 5 for sealing work.

If the weather is wet on Saturday, the contingency day is Monday, July 7.

“The bridge is narrow, and due to nature of the work, full daytime closures are required,” said Sandra King, NZTA’s system manager for the Bay of Plenty.

“We understand this is an important route and the closure is disruptive, but closing the bridge allows contractors to carry out repairs safely.

“This essential maintenance work has been programmed for the school holidays when traffic volumes are lower, and no school buses will be on the road.

“Contractors will be using the closure to its full potential by repairing and replacing broken and loose decking planks and carrying out other general maintenance such as checking surfacing screws and resurfacing.”

A detour will be in place using Tāneatua Road, Arawa Road, Hinemoa Street and SH30 towards Awakeri, adding up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles.