Work to reopen State Highway 3 to two lanes at the site of the Uruti Valley slip, north of Urenui, gets underway tomorrow and is expected to be complete by Saturday.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Jaclyn Hankin, says abseil crews will manually remove loose debris to stabilise the cliff face.
“Once the work is complete, the site will be assessed by a geotechnical engineer to ensure it’s safe before the road is reopened to two lanes.
“The slip occurred just before Christmas and one lane was closed until a geotechnical assessment of the site could be completed in the new year, to ensure the safety of road users. We appreciate everyone’s patience while this precaution has been in place.
“Waka Kotahi is investigating more long-term solutions to stabilise the Uruti Valley area and reduce the risk of further slips.”
Work will be done under the current Stop/Go, managed by traffic lights. Road users are advised to allow for delays of 5-10 minutes at this site.
There is currently a lot of work underway on SH3, so people travelling between New Plymouth and Waikato are encouraged to plan their journeys using the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.
Journey Planner(external link)
Northbound and southbound traffic should allow an additional six minutes for the detour at Waitara for Waitara to Bell Block safety improvements and up to 30 minutes for road repairs in the Awakino Gorge.
Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience while we undertake these important works.
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