Marlborough Roads response works following the June and July weather events will turn a corner this week as Port Underwood Road re-opens.

From 9am Thursday 28 August, Port Underwood Road between Oyster Bay and Rārangi and Tumbledown Bay Road will be open for all vehicles.

Marlborough Roads Transport Recovery Manager Steve Murrin says this is a huge step forward for residents of the area.

“Over 200 new faults were identified in the Port Underwood area following these recent events,” said Mr Murrin.

“Around three-quarters of the damage has been addressed.”

“I’d like to acknowledge the huge effort of the Marlborough Roads crews who have cleared multiple over slips, temporarily widened the road around under slips, and repaired pavement washouts across the length of the 40km road,” he said.

Last week crews were working near Robin Hood Bay to repair scouring on the road. New gravel has also been spread throughout the unsealed section of both Port Underwood and Tumbledown Bay roads.

In preparation for the road’s reopening, grading, signage installation and other minor works are programmed this week. This will be followed by final specialist inspections prior to the road opening.

“Although a lot of work has been done to get to this point, there is still more to do and driving with caution is advised,” said Mr Murrin.

“Road users should plan ahead for delays and future planned closures on the road, as we work to permanently repair the road,” he said.

Once access is restored the Port Underwood area will move to the recovery phase, in which approximately 50 sites will require a permanent solution to reinstate the road.

“Of these sites, 19 will require assessment for either a retaining structure or road retreat and another eight where culvert replacement may be required,” said Mr Murrin.

“Our initial priority will be the section from Waikawa to Oyster Bay, along with focusing on large dropouts,” he said.

One of the biggest sites is a large under slip near Oyster Bay.

“We know this is a priority site which will require a complex solution, so we’ve already started design for this site,” said Mr Murrin.

On the Rārangi end of the road there are multiple culverts that will need to be repaired or replaced and another large dropout just past Whites Bay.

Although the road status will change there will be a planned construction closure in place on Port Underwood Road on the Waikawa side of Whatamango Bay. These closures are in place Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 2.30pm and scheduled to finish on Friday 19 September.

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