Remedial work to repair damage to State Highway 25 caused by Cyclone Wilma late last month, is expected to be in the vicinity of $5.5 million says the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).
NZTA Regional Operations Manager Trevor Fearnley says the Coromandel Peninsula highway was damaged at 81 separate locations.
“Remedial work for several of these locations will require geotechnical investigations, survey and design of substantial retaining systems to ensure highway security. The total repair cost is likely to be around $5.5 million.”
Meanwhile, the NZTA confirms that State Highway 25 is now reopened to two way traffic.
The final works to clear the road at Waikawau Bay were completed and the highway reopened at midday today.
There were two road closures on the highway as a result of the significant weather event on January 29 and 30.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic metres of debris blocked the road at each of the two largest slip sites at Ruamahunga Bay on the Thames Coast and further North at Waikawau Bay.
The road was also reduced to one lane in a number of other locations, due to smaller slips and fallen trees.
Close to 40,000 cubic metres of earth has been removed by contractors from the highway, in order to reopen the roads to motorists. Removal of debris can only be safely done during daylight hours.
Some minor work is still continuing along the highway to remove fallen earth from the roadside, but this will not cause any delay to motorists or require any road closures.
Geotechnical assessments on the highway are now underway and a start date for the remaining repair work will be known once the design work is completed.
