Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advises State Highway 29 is closed in both directions after several containers fell from a truck approximately 500m south of the summit earlier this morning, spilling chemicals on the road.
The road is expected to remain closed for much of the day to enable clean-up.
Motorists are encouraged to delay their travel where possible. Detours are State Highway 36 and State Highway 5 via Rotorua or State Highway 27, State Highway 26 and State Highway 2 through the Karangahake Gorge and on to Tauranga. These detours will add considerable time to journeys and are not suitable for High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV).
Waka Kotahi thanks motorists for their patience.
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