As heavy rain continues to hit Gisborne, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is reminding motorists to drive to the conditions so that everyone can get to their destinations safely.
National Journey Manager Helen Harris says the severe weather has impacted on parts of the state highway network and is urging everyone to take extra care on the roads.
“Water has receded in some areas which has exposed very large potholes in the roads. In areas where we still have surface flooding, it’s likely that more potholes are submerged beneath the water and not as visible, so we’re advising everyone to keep speeds down and stay alert,” Ms Harris says.
“We’re also seeing fallen trees and slips on the roads, so some roads are down to a single lane. There are no full road closures on the state highways yet and the focus for our contractors at the moment is to ensure the roads are clear so they can remain open.
“That means it will take some time to fix the potholes, so we need everyone to drive to the conditions. We’ve had reports of vehicles, including heavy vehicles, hitting the large potholes at full speed. Please slow down for the safety of everyone on the roads, including our contractors who are doing a great job.
“I want to give a big shout out to our traffic controllers and workers who are working very hard in bad weather to keep people safe. We are very grateful to these men and women who have been out in the rain the last couple of days responding to incidents and managing traffic.”
Road works that had started on State Highway 35 from Turihaua Bridge to Turihaua Point have been greatly affected by this weather event. The road is under stop/go traffic management which will remain in place until the rain clears.
Motorists are urged to adhere to the posted speed limit at this location, as any damage to this site would mean a longer repair.
With the challenging weather conditions expected to continue into weekend, contractors are very busy ensuring that the roads can stay open for people who need to travel.
Waka Kotahi is asking motorists to call 0800 44 44 49 if they see any issues on the state highways, such as fallen trees or slips, so that the contractors can quickly get to the site and fix the issue.
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