Inspections at the summit of State Highway 25A (SH25A) show the remainder of the road has collapsed into the gully, as a result of heavy rain which continues to fall in the Coromandel region.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency appreciates just how important this highway is to the Coromandel and that the latest photos of the collapse will be disheartening.
“We expected that the underslip would deteriorate further, given the ongoing weather,” says David Speirs, Director of Regional Relationships for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, “but it’s still a shock to see the total collapse of a road that is so vital to this community.
“The site is very much active with road material, earth and debris still falling into the gully,” he says.
Waka Kotahi is working through solutions for a long-term fix.
“The situation is complex due to the geography and amount of road surface and earth lost in the collapse. As soon as the weather allows the geotechnical assessment will re-commence, which will inform the best way to re-build the road as robustly as possible,” says Mr Speirs.
SH25A was closed on Friday 27 January to ensure the safety of road users, following the formation of deep cracks in the road after Ex-Cyclone Hale.
“We understand how frustrating the closure is for locals and visitors, and appreciate the need for certainty about how long a rebuild will take.
“Unfortunately we cannot offer this yet. Please bear with us while we are in the emergency response phase of an evolving situation,” says Mr Speirs.
The ability to start physical work will depend on site conditions, which will be assessed this week when the weather allows. MetService has issued a Red Heavy Rain Warning for the Coromandel Peninsula for 18 hours from midnight Tuesday 31 January.
More information will be provided following detailed assessments.
Waka Kotahi is providing regular updates to the public as the severe weather continues to affect Aotearoa this week. Our Journey Planner page is updated by our traffic operations centres 24/7 to provide the latest available information on state highway closures and disruptions. Remember to refresh the page when checking the status of highways to ensure the latest updates are displayed.
