Central Otago is now more accessible, safer and resilient thanks to the installation of three culverts on State Highway 8 near Roxburgh just in time for winter.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has completed the project, with the final culvert installed at Black Jacks Creek, each designed to help the area cope in extreme weather events.

The new culverts are up to eight times larger, making the road much less likely to become flooded or damaged by debris during heavy rain.

NZTA thanked the community via social media for its understanding while construction work took place.

“ . . . your support meant the road workers were able to finish ahead of schedule on each of the three culverts - and thanks to the workers for their tremendous work.”

Roxburgh, in recent years, had been at the mercy of extreme weather events.

A flash flood in 2017 was among the more recent events, which closed roads, cut power and water to the town and forced several people to evacuate their homes.

The three areas where work was done was at Black Jack’s Creek, Golf Course Creek and Pumphouse Creek.

A statement by NZTA at the time of the Black Jack’s Creek work noted that all three creeks had an ongoing risk of flooding, and the larger culverts now installed would help channel flood flood waters and gravels under the road down to the Clutha Mata-Au River.