Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is advising that State Highway 59 (SH59 – formerly State Highway 1) at Pukerua Bay is closed in both directions due to slips.
Update 16 December @ 5:00pm
SH59 Pukerua Bay is open to one lane only, under stop/go traffic control. Please expect significant delays as congestion eases while slip clearing continues - it may take several hours for current queues to clear.
Update 16 December @ 4:00pm
Both SH59 Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki Hill Road remain closed and there is no detour available, with Akatarawa Road only open to residents.
Contractors are still on-site cleaning the area and it is not yet known when the roads will be able to be reopened. It is likely that when SH59 does open, it will only be open to one lane at first so it is expected that congestion will take some time to clear as it is already very heavy in the area. We expect that congestion will remain heavy through peak traffic hours and continue to advise motorists to avoid travelling in this area and delay their journey.
Update 16 December @ 3:00pm
Both SH59 Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki Hill Road remain closed. Congestion remains heavy and there is no detour available. Motorists are advised to avoid travelling in this area and delay their journey as contractors are still on-site cleaning the area and the roads are not expected to reopen anytime soon.
Heavy rain in recent days has made the hills along SH59 unstable, with slips and debris falling onto the highway in multiple locations.
Paekakariki Hill Road is also closed due to fallen trees.
It is not yet known how long either road is expected to remain closed, but it could be a number of hours before they are cleared and safe to open.
Contractors are currently onsite clearing the area, but due to the instability of the surrounding environment and continued wet weather, there may be further incidents of slips, debris and fallen trees.
Waka Kotahi is monitoring the situation closely and will open the roads when they are clear and safe for motorists.
Updates will be posted on the Waka Kotahi Facebook, Twitter and Journey Planner pages (see links below).
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