State Highway 2 north of Gisborne will remain closed today following new slips overnight and further movement in the road.
Central North Island Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Jaclyn Hankin says geotech engineers are on site at SH2 between Matawai and Ormond to assess the slips and further movement in the road.
“We are working as quickly as we can to get this stretch of highway back to a point where we might be in a position to lead escorted convoys through the closure points. The road is not safe enough to do this today. We understand how important this stretch of SH2 is for the freight industry connecting Tairāwhiti to the north, however, we have to balance restoring access quickly and doing so safely.”
SH35 north of Gisborne has reopened this morning following an overnight closure and in Hawke’s Bay, SH5 Napier-Taupō Road has reopened after also being closed overnight.
Further north, on the Coromandel Peninsula, State Highway 25 just north of Thames has closed due to two large slips following heavy rainfall overnight.
The section of state highway on the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula has closed between Waiomu, about 15 kilometres north of Thames, and Tapu.
Multiple trees have come down overnight and there is debris and rocks on the road between Waiomu and Whakakete Bay. Road users are asked to drive with extreme caution.
As at 11.30am:
State Highway 25 Waiomu to Tapu, Coromandel CLOSED
State Highway 2 Matawai to Ormond CLOSED
State Highway 50 Tikokino to Ongaonga CLOSED
State Highway 35 Gisborne to Ruatoria OPEN
State Highway 5 Napier – Taupō Road OPEN
State Highway 2 Wairoa to Napier OPEN
State Highway 2 Wairoa to Gisborne OPEN
“SH5 is now open again and we are not planning to close this crucial stretch of highway again tonight,” says Ms Hankin.
“This is a frustrating time for all road users and for everyone out working on our roading network. We are doing everything possible to keep affected roads open and safe for all road users.”
Please continue to keep an eye on the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner website for the latest information on road conditions, as short-notice closures are a possibility given the rain is continuing.
