The NZ Transport Agency says the newly completed rebuild and strengthening work on State Highway 1 at a large slip at Maromaku will make the main route between Whangarei and Kawakawa safer and more resilient.
The rebuilt section of the state highway south of Kawakawa has now opened fully to traffic.
Flooding in July last year caused a 10 metre long section of the road to slip, closing the road for a week while a temporary route nearby was constructed.
The Transport Agency’s Safety and Network Performance Manager Tim Crow says repairing the slip and making the road safer and robust for the future has been a top priority for the Agency and it’s fabulous to see the newly rebuilt section of the road completed.
'We have built a new stabilised-earth retaining wall to support the rebuilt road, installed safety barriers and extra culverts for better drainage, which will make the road safer and more resilient to the heavy Northland rainfalls.'
The $3.25 million repair has involved moving more than 3000 tonnes of material as well as 39 reinforced concrete piles driven 21 metres into the ground.
Mr Crow says the Transport Agency is very grateful for the support and patience from the local community and those using this section of the state highway while the work has been carried out.
The scale of the slip.
The completed slip repair.
