Despite heavy rain over South Westland all day, state highways on the West Coast have remained open with only minor slips and small rockfalls which were easily cleared, says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
There is surface flooding on low-lying areas of highway.
“A second front appears to be hitting South Westland as we go into the evening,” says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for Waka Kotahi on the West Coast. “Our teams will continue to monitor key rivers and bridge approaches, with night patrols as needed.”
Waka Kotahi crews and contractors’ machinery were deployed yesterday to Whataroa and Haast to be on hand for the forecast bad weather.
People who may be driving along SH6 north of Haast to Hokitika should check the Waka Kotahi traffic and travel page before heading out tonight as the situation can change quickly. “The highway will be closed if there are safety concerns, particularly in the hours of darkness,” says Miss Whinham.
Traffic and travel page(external link)
High tide is half an hour after midnight but this is not at this stage expected to cause additional issues.
The MetService forecast remains largely unchanged apart from the Buller area which may get more rain on Friday and into the weekend.
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