Motorists travelling around the Gisborne region are being urged to avoid unnecessary travel if possible as more rain is forecast to hit the area.
As Gisborne and the surrounding areas prepare for more rainfall, motorists are being urged to avoid travel tomorrow (Wednesday) if possible.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency contractors have been out around the region’s roads, cleaning up after last week’s ex-cyclone Hale hit.
System manager for Gisborne, Martin Colditz says clearing the huge volumes of silt from the state highway network has kept contractors extremely busy over the past week.
“It was due largely to the tremendous effort from dedicated contractors that SH35 was able to fully reopen so quickly.”
Mr Colditz says the ground is already so saturated and with more rain, further subsidence is a very real possibility.
“Please don’t plan to travel tomorrow (Wednesday afternoon) unless absolutely necessary and please be aware we may need to close SH35 between Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria at short notice.
“We will continue to closely monitor our local network as further damage has been anticipated and teams are still out there cleaning up as much as possible before the expected rain,” says Mr Colditz.
“It’s those contractors who deserve our recognition – out clearing debris from roads, making sure they’ve reopened as quickly as possible and people stay connected around the region.
Roading crews remain busy working up and down the highway, so please follow the speed restrictions to help keep everyone safe,” says Mr Colditz.
“I want to again thank all road users for their patience and understanding. The adverse weather was out of our control but people’s cooperation made the clean up all the more possible.
