The Transport Agency advises that SH11 in the Bay of Islands will be closed again this Sunday, but the end is in sight for closures past the Lemon’s Hill slip.
The road will be closed on Sunday between 8am–5pm for work to remove the remaining trees and install a culvert.
“There is only about 1,000 cubic metres of the slip to be removed, so we’re getting close to the end,” says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.
The road will reopen on Sunday night to one lane traffic under stop/go management, but the plan is to open the road to two way traffic each night from Thursday, 14 June. And then, if the necessary work is completed, the road will be open to two lanes of traffic 24/7 from Saturday, 16 June with temporary speed limits in place.
In about three weeks, the road will be reduced to one lane traffic for a short time to allow the installation of the final curb, channelling and safety barriers. There will be more information on this closer to the time.
“While the slip remediation work has continued to allow for one lane access for motorists, it does impact the ability of crews to completely remove the slip and make the hillside safe again. We’ve tried to keep the needs of our customers a priority while working to finish a complex repair job. In the end I think we’ve managed a good compromise for everyone,” says Ms Hori-Hoult.
The Transport Agency thanks motorists for their continued patience and understanding since heavy rain from ex tropical Cyclone Fehi brought down a huge slip above the road on February 13.
The road openings are subject to the weather and may be cancelled or amended at short notice. The detour route is via State Highways 1, 10 and 11. Drivers should allow up to 30 minutes extra for the journey between Kawakawa and Paihia.
For more information, visit www.nzta.govt.nz/lemons-hill
Close to completion. SH11 past the Lemon's Hill slip will be closed again on Sunday, but the road should be open to two way traffic by the end of next week.
