The NZ Transport Agency is closing State Highway 6 at Meybille Bay north of Punakaiki next week, from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon, 7-8 September, for geotechnical investigations. “We are working towards a more permanent solution for the slip site at Meybille Bay,” says Transport Agency Journey Manager Lee Wright.
The highway will close at 7 am Thursday at Meybille Bay and reopen at 3 pm on Friday afternoon.
Meybille Bay has had a number of slips in recent years with a small slip recently closing the highway overnight and an earlier slip a year ago(external link) closing the highway for several days. Since that time the highway has been reduced to one lane past the slip site.
During the closure the detour route between Westport and Greymouth will be highways 69 and 7, via Reefton and Inangahua Junction. This is a longer journey than the coastal highway – 156 km, taking around two hours, an extra 30 minutes longer travel time than the coastal route. “We recommend all road users plan their journey and add in extra travelling time,” says Ms Wright.
Road blocks will be in place at Rapahoe, north of Greymouth, and Four-Mile Junction at the Buller end of State Highway 6, so drivers will be made aware of how far they can travel.
“There will also be a manned roadblock at the north end of Punakaiki during the day so drivers are aware of the closure ahead. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, but this is very necessary work needed to find a permanent solution to this slip site.”
