Great progress on restoring vital Coromandel roading link

Drone footage released by Waka Kotahi this weekend shows the extent of an underslip on State Highway 25 between Opoutere and Hikuai on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.

Contractors have been working around the clock to repair the damaged road, a vital link that connects Tairua to the north and Whangamata heading southward.

The drone footage shows how much the slip has taken from the old road. Photo / Waka Kotahi

With State Highway 25a closed indefinitely, this stretch of road has become vitally important to communities living in the popular holiday spots of Cooks Beach, Hahei and Whitianga, with the alternative route via Matarangi and Coromandel township itself prone to regular slips and closures in the recent heavy rain events.

A single lane has remained open for light vehicles through the slip area, with a stop/go traffic management system, all weekend. Waka Kotahi urged motorists to use extreme caution with contractors working on site, with occasional closures as safety was continually assessed.

“We’re working as fast as possible to give road users a safe way through,” said Cara Lauder, Waka Kotahi System Manager for the Waikato, on Friday.

A single lane under stop/go traffic management has been in operation all weekend. Photo / Waka Kotahi

“We appreciate how frustrating this latest disruption is for people in the Coromandel. Emergency response works have been underway all week and geotechnical investigations have now started to help plan for a permanent fix for the section to help plan for a permanent fix for the section of the highway that has fallen away. We’ll keep everyone updated as soon as a solution has been determined, but in the meantime, we are very much focused on the short-term fix and keeping at least one lane safely open,” she said.

Trees and vegetation have been removed to allow a digger to cut into the bank behind the slip area. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Contractors had made good progress when the video was shot, with trees and vegetation removed to allow a digger to increase the width and length of a cut into the bank behind the slip area in order to keep traffic away from danger as much as possible.

• Motorists are advised to check the Waka Kotahi journey planner prior to travel at https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/