State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura: fresh slip, highway closed

State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura was closed around 1 pm today, Easter Saturday, after a fresh slip north of an old slip site at Rosy Morn, brought down several thousand cubic metres of material. The new, large slip is around 3 km southwest of Peketa.

The highway was reopened after heavy rain yesterday between 3 and 6 pm and reopened again this morning.

The inland road to Kaikoura, Route 70, via Waiau and Mt Lyford, remains open 24/7.

Given the amount of material in this latest highway slip, the southern access may well be closed for two days or more, highway managers say.

People should check the Transport Agency’s traffic and travel pages for updates before they head to Kaikoura over Easter, says Steve Mutton, NZ Transport Agency Earthquake Recovery Manager.

“There are electronic signs at Waipara advising if the state highway route is closed and another sign north of Cheviot. If people make it to Cheviot and find the state highway is closed, they can take the Leader Road to reconnect with the inland road via Waiau.”

The state highway remains fragile and will be prone to short term closures for some time.

• The inland road, Route 70 via Waiau and Mt Lyford, is open 24/7.
• When it is open, the state highway to the south of Kaikoura is open daylight hours only, 7 am to 6pm.

Please check this map for updates.

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