By Lloyd Burr
Another huge slip has hit State Highway 3 in the Manawatu Gorge, bringing down around 20,000 cubic metres of debris and striking the same spot as an earlier slip in August.
The section of road affected by August’s slip, which had not re-opened, was cleared of debris by last Friday but torrential rain over the weekend destabilised the area and brought down more material.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) regional state highways manager David McGonigal says approximately 20,000 cubic metres of new material came down overnight on the evening of October 17, increasing the height and width of the existing slip face.
He says it occurred at the same site which contractors have been working to clear for several weeks and they would begin clearing the new debris as soon as it was safe to do so.
Mr McGonigal says it is too early to say what impact the latest slip will have on the timeline for re-opening the road because further material is expected to come down, particularly if there is more rain.
“Before we can allow traffic to use this route we must ensure that the site is stable and the road is safe to travel. The scale of this latest slip shows that isn’t yet the case.
“We appreciate that people are frustrated about the length of this closure, and so are we. We know how important this road is for local communities and for the region’s economy and we are working hard to get it re-opened as soon as possible,” he says.
The closure of the road is “one of the longest and most frustrating closures on record”, Mr McGonigal says.
“Closures of this extent only happen around once in a decade, but when they do happen they cause real disruption.”
NZTA says they will focus on getting the road open as soon as possible and ensuring alternative routes are well maintained while the state highway remains closed.
Motorists are advised to use the Pahiatua Track and Saddle Rd as alternative routes, which take around 15 - 20 minutes longer than the gorge road.
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