UPPER Hunter Shire Council has announced that the Merriwa to Willow Tree Road (MR358) will be closed for a five day period from Monday November 23.

The closure will allow important geotechnical investigations to be carried out which require the road surface to be excavated to varying depths.

The alternative route for motorists wanting to travel this road will be via the New England Highway and the Scone to Merriwa Road with expected additional travel time being approximately 30 minutes (44 kilometres).

The decision to close the road came following consultation with tenderers and geotechnical engineers who requested the final phase of geotechnical investigation be carried out prior to the road design tender closure.

Apart from being a necessary part of the tender process, council wants to ensure the safety of all road users during the upgrading of the road.

It is estimated that the road will be closed from 9am Monday, November 23 to 5pm, Friday November 27.

The investigations will be used to provide more information to the tenders and provide important details regarding foundation and structural requirements the design engineers will have to take into consideration.

This will potentially reduce the risk of significant costs and variations in the design and construction stages of the project.

Council has apologised for the inconvenience to the road users and the community.