A marathon effort from roading contractors will see the final section of State Highway 35 closed by last month’s severe weather event reopen to all traffic tomorrow (Friday 8 April) between 7am and 7pm.
The road, between Tokomaru Bay and Te Puia Springs, has been closed since Wednesday 23 March.
It will remain closed overnight, with manned checkpoints in place, for a minimum of two weeks.
National Journey Manager Helen Harris says being able to reopen this soon after the weather event, when you consider the scale of the damage, is nothing short of phenomenal and a real credit to the crews involved in the repair.
“This section of SH35 has seen significant damage to the road, including major cracks and uneven surfaces, slumping and two major dropouts.
“We know how much it means to the local community to have this stretch of road reopened and our contractors, many of whom live locally, have worked tirelessly in some difficult conditions to get it to a stage where we can safely allow access during daylight hours.
“Some of our contractors suffered damage and losses of their own due to the weather event, and left that behind to help out the rest of the community by working to repair the road and restore connections. The commitment and spirit shown by these guys has just been incredible.
“The road is still down to single lane only in some places, with sections of unsealed road, signs, cones and temporary speed limits, and is likely to be like this for some time.
People should allow extra time for their journeys if traveling this route, with four sets of traffic lights and priority give ways at various locations likely to cause some delays.
“While the road has reopened, the work is far from done. It is still very much an active work zone as our contractors continue to repair this vital connection for the people of Tairāwhiti.
“We ask people to avoid unnecessary travel through the area to provide contractors with the best opportunity to carry out the repairs as safely and efficiently as possible.
“Those who are traveling are asked to take extra care, adhere to the relevant speed limits and follow all directions of traffic management staff and signs to help keep everyone safe – themselves, other road users and our road workers.”
Above: Examples of the damage to State Highway 35 between Tokomaru Bay and Te Puia Springs.
