Welcome to the Thirteenth issue of our….

State Highway 2 Waioeka Gorge Slip update

Restricted access through the Waioeka Gorge between Opotiki and Gisborne is now possible through a temporary diversion route around the slip affected area. While the NZTA continues to focus its efforts
on establishing a long term solution to stabilise the slip face and to remove slip material that is covering State Highway 2, vehicles are now able to use the temporary diversion route to travel between Gisborne and Opotiki from the hours of 8.00am to 5.30pm.

In this issue:

• Operation update – Temporary diversion route is now Open!
• Associate Minister Chris Tremain visits the slip site

Operation update
It's official the temporary diversion route opened at 9.00am, with two trucks already waiting to be the first to use the road.

Traffic was flowing well through the temporary road which will operate from 8.00am to 5.30pm. Approximately, 50 vehicles used this temporary road per hour with our contractor Downers really impressed with the positive response they received from drivers using this road. The delays were not significant for the first day of opening, with only a maximum of three vehicles queuing at either end of the road waiting their turn to go through.

The slip face will continue to be monitored daily by geologists and surveyors for any slip movement. Spotters are also onsite to monitor the slip face while vehicles are using the temporary diversion route.

At the slip face, geologists are working to identify options that will maintain the stability of the slip face in the long term.

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Associate Minister Chris Tremain visit

Associate Minister for Transport Chris Tremain visited the slip site on Tuesday with the Gisborne District Council, Opotiki District Council and a few local transport operators. The group heard first hand from the onsite geologists and project manager about the progress being made to clear the slip material and to construct the temporary diversion route which was subquently opened two days later.

The NZTA’s Principal Asset Manager Nigel D’Ath discussed the long term plans to ensure security through the Gorge is maintained. He said the last time the gorge was closed for this length of time was in July 1998. Mr D'Ath noted that the geological nature of the gorge meant it is exposed to large scale slips which tend to occur every 10 to 15 years.

Find the latest transport news, information, and advice on our website:
www.nzta.govt.nz

ENDS