A petrol station in Tinwald has closed ahead of major roading changes.
The impact of the impending roadworks and installation of traffic lights has had Z Energy decide not to renew its lease of the site.
“The closure is due to roading changes that affects the site access to the point where it is no longer viable and the site closed on Monday,” Z Energy communications manager Kiri Shannon said.
“All staff at this site were relocated to other Z sites nearby.”
The station was situated on the corner of State Highway 1 and Agnes Street, which is set to have new traffic signals installed as part of the Tinwald corridor improvement.
It’s understood the vacated site could be utilised by the Waka Kotahi contractors during the project.
The successful contractor is set to be announced in the next few days and work is expected to begin later this month.
Just down from the now closed Z station is an NPD fuel stop that opened up in Tinwald last year.
Along a 4km stretch of State Highway 1 in Ashburton there are still four petrol stations, and a fifth just across the railway line.
There is set to be another, with Waitomo having a resource consent for land it will lease from KiwiRail, for a fuel stop on the site currently occupied by the shunting yards.
The shunting yards are set to shift out to Fairton when the Fairfield Freight Hub is completed early next year.

• By Jonathan Leask