The NZ Transport Agency reopened State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura earlier this morning. It was planned to reopen the highway tomorrow ready for the Easter traffic, however enough debris has been cleared behind the protective container wall near the Paratitahi Tunnels to open a day early, says Steve Mutton, Transport Agency Earthquake Recovery Manager.
“The weather forecast, particularly for Good Friday, means that people still need to check the Transport Agency’s traffic and travel pages(external link) for updates before they head to Kaikoura over Easter,” says Mr Mutton. “There are electronic signs at Waipara advising if the state highway route is closed and another sign north of Cheviot. If people make it to Cheviot and find the state highway is closed, they can take the Leader Road to reconnect with the inland road via Waiau.”
Around 1000 cubic metres of material was removed from behind the containers in the past day, or about 80 truck loads. The road remains fragile and will be prone to short term closures for some time.
Please check this map for updates(external link).
Ways to find out what is happening on the highway network:
