Local residents and regular users of State Highway 60 over the Tākaka Hill need to be ready for delays as planned maintenance work is carried out on the route.
Waka Kotahi is urging everyone using roads in affected areas to adjust their driving to the conditions, which means slowing down, increasing following distances, switching headlights on and watching for flooding and other debris on the road.
5.45pm update: Due to a recurring slip identified just before the road was set to re-open for northbound traffic, SH1 Brynderwyns to Waipu will not reopen today. Our crews are currently onsite working to clear the slip and will review the cause of it given the relatively dry weather this afternoon.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency continues to advise against non-essential travel in the Coromandel and parts of the East Waikato with road conditions making travel hazardous.
State Highway 23 is still open to one lane this morning, however Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises road users should be prepared that the highway may need to fully close at short notice.
We are continuing to urge all road users to avoid non-essential travel in the upper North Island if they can, following red and orange warnings issued by Metservice.
If you can avoid travel, please stay home. If you’re driving in the forecast heavy rainfall, please drive to the conditions, which means keeping a safe following distance and dropping your speed and watch for flooding and other debris on the road.
There has been significant progress clearing slips around the Coromandel and wider Waikato with most highways now open but extreme caution is advised as there may be small slips and areas with surface water. Clearance and cleanup works will continue tomorrow in the region.
The toll on the Northern Gateway will be paused from 5pm Monday 30 January until 10pm Sunday 5 February (or until the state of emergency in Auckland is lifted).
It’s not just the upper North Island in the firing line from bad weather. Drivers in the Lower North Island and upper South Island also need to be prepared.