Rāhui Road from the County Road intersection to the BP station closed on Monday to allow construction of the new Rāhui overbridge. 

The road and new bridge will reopen in about  seven months to carry traffic over the realigned railway line, and eventually the expressway when it’s completed in mid-2021. The railway level crossing will be decommissioned. 

While the road is closed, local traffic wanting to exit County Road, Rāhui Road and Te Roto Road will be diverted up Freemans Road. It can join the existing State Highway 1 at Te Manuao Road or Waitohu Valley Road. Pedestrians are being diverted north or south on a County Road footpath. 

The road closure has meant a change to the 290 Waikanae-Ōtaki Metlink bus service. Buses used to turn directly into Te Manuao Road, down to Rāhui Road and back to the highway. 

They will now go to Waitohu Valley Road, then loop around Dittmer Street into Te Manuao Road before turning back south on the highway and down County Road. The buses will then head in the reverse direction to the previous route, going east along Rāhui Road and along Freemans and Te Manuao roads back to the highway, turning south.  

New temporary bus stops have been created along the Plateau loop.