Major repair work to fix storm damage on Taranaki's State Highway 43 is wrapping up, but motorists should prepare for more roadworks over the upcoming summer months.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has confirmed its focus is shifting from immediate winter repairs to long-term resilience for the Forgotten World Highway.
The summer construction season, which runs from September to April, will target vulnerable sections of the route to help it withstand future weather events.
In a recent project update, they highlighted the road's importance to the district.
"SH43 is more than a scenic highway," Waka Kotahi stated. "For local communities, farmers, businesses and visitors, it is an everyday connection and keeping it open and reliable matters".
Contractors have spent recent months fixing under-slips, installing rock bags, improving drainage and stabilising slopes.
Waka Kotahi said that road workers had made good progress, with the initial storm repair phase now completed.
Attention turns to the summer works programme. The transport agency plans to release specific details soon on exactly where the upcoming works will take place and how they might affect travel times.
Waka Kotahi acknowledged the ongoing disruption for Stratford and district residents who rely heavily on the route.
"This work is being planned and delivered with this in mind, while still making the improvements needed to keep the highway more reliable over the long term," the agency said.
The upcoming summer phase follows significant upgrades to the back-country route in recent years.
Previous work includes a major project to seal the final 12 kilometres of the highway through the Tāngarākau Gorge, along with bridge improvements and the construction of new retaining walls.
