Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is advising motorists that State Highway 2 will be closed between Puha and Matawai from 10am today to allow crews full access to clear a new slip which has blocked the road.
The highway will close from 10am to 12pm, re-open to allow traffic to pass through for 30 minutes, before closing again from 12:30pm to allow crews to work to complete clearing the slip.
Waka Kotahi National Journey Manager Helen Harris says crews will work to clear material as quickly as possible, aiming to re-open the road to traffic this afternoon.
She says this section of SH2 remains very fragile and unstable.
“It’s continuing to pose a huge challenge, with crews experiencing ongoing issues with fallen trees and slips.
"People should be prepared for delays if traveling through the area.
"This section of State Highway 2 forms part of an incredibly important lifeline link between Ōpōtiki in the Bay of Plenty and both Gisborne and Wairoa, and our crews are working very hard to keep it open. However, safety remains our number one priority and we won't hesitate to close the road to keep our crews and road users safe," Ms Harris says.
This slip is in an area where communications can be a challenge, meaning sometimes Waka Kotahi isn't able to update information as fast as some things happen.
Ms Harris says Waka Kotahi will provide further updates as work is carried out today.
