Call for patience as crews work to reconnect communities

Tauwhareparae Road inland from Tolaga Bay has been hard hit by land subsidence at the 18 kilometre and 37 kilometre marks. Picture supplied

Gisborne District Council road and utility crews are working their way through reconnecting communities, where they can.

The council has asked for patience from rural road users.

As of yesterday, 89 local roads were still closed, restricted or with bridges out.

Of those, 56 were closed, said community lifelines director David Wilson.

“That number was as high as 92 during the weather event.

“It includes around 40 which were already in need of work or being worked on, on the back of cyclones Gabrielle and Hale.

“It is going to take two weeks for many of these to be reinstated — some only to a temporary level.

“The tough thing is again the rain – the ground needs to dry out before some of the work can be done.”

Tauwhareparae Rd has major issues at the 18km and 37km marks with the road badly buckled.

“The whole hillside has given way at those locations,” Mr Wilson said.

“We had engineers flown in there yesterday.

“We will know more about the reinstatement work required once they have made their report.”