State Highway 35 is closed between Ōpōtiki and Waihau Bay in the eastern Bay of Plenty due to flooding and multiple slips, caused by heavy rain in the area.
Update 17 December @ 4:30pm
State Highway 35 in the eastern Bay of Plenty is expected to open to light traffic only later tonight, following geotechnical inspections today. The road remains closed to heavy traffic until further notice.
Motorists are advised to continue checking the Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up to date information on the road status.
Update 16 December @ 5:00pm
The road between Ōpōtiki and Te Kaha is now open, with traffic management in place at various locations.
The road is still closed at Te Kaha on the Bay of Plenty side and between Lottin Point Road and Pohutu Road on the Gisborne side.
We will have Geotech engineers on site tomorrow morning to inspect the various slip sites and expect to be able to provide a further update tomorrow afternoon.
In the meantime, motorists are asked to avoid unnecessary travel in the area. Those who do need to travel are advised to take extra care, stay alert – especially for unreported hazards – and drive to the conditions.
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.
The road is also closed further east between Lottin Point Road and Pohutu Road on the Gisborne side of the East Cape due to flooding, isolating communities between the two closure points.
The detour rote via State Highway 2 will add considerable time to journeys and motorists are asked to delay their travel, where possible. Those who do need to travel are advised to take extra care, stay alert – especially for unreported hazards – and drive to the conditions.
Updates will be posted on the Waka Kotahi social media pages and on our Journey Planner website (see links below).
Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:
