The Manawatu Gorge will remain closed for at least three more weeks while safety works and geotechnical assessments are completed.
The NZ Transport Agency Highway Manager Ross I'Anson says while physical repair work, including the installation of new rock fall netting and the reinstatement of a damaged retaining wall, are on track to be completed by the end of this week as planned, further geological assessments of the slip sites are needed to assess the level of potential risk of further slips or rock falls before the road can be safely opened.
"We're working with our contractors and independent geotechnical engineers to complete these assessments as soon as possible, but these evaluations must be thorough to ensure that the road is safe when it is re-opened.
"While the slips have been cleared and the road has been repaired at both sites, the slips have altered the rock faces above the road, and we need to thoroughly assess any additional risks that the newly exposed rock might pose for road users.
"The recent slips have resulted in new cracking in the rock faces on either side of the slips and we need to identify if there is a risk of additional rock falling onto the road, and most importantly what additional work may be required to provide further protection for road users. The geology of the gorge is complex, and these assessments must be very thorough to address that complexity."