Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency would like to thank road users for heeding weather warnings and driving to the conditions during last week’s snow event in the Central Plateau, which saw the closure of the Desert Road.
“We had very few issues during the closure of the Desert Road last week, compared to the challenges experienced during the weather event a fortnight ago, which saw multiple crashed trucks and stuck vehicles,” says Waka Kotahi System Manger for the Waikato, Cara Lauder.
“Waka Kotahi would like to thank road users for following our advice, adjusting their journey plans and driving to the winter conditions. This meant the closure of the Desert Road was much shorter than it could’ve been, as contractors could focus on clearing snow and ice rather than rescuing or removing stuck vehicles.
“We’d also like to thank all our teams on the ground who worked long hours in freezing conditions to clear the Desert Road and keep the detour routes open.”
