Traffic through Taupo is back to normal after three months of disruption caused by a washout on the main road southern entrance to its main shopping street.
The collapse at the start of July took out part of a lakefront footpath and the sewerage line beneath, sending up 200,000 litres of wastewater into Lake Taupo.
It resulted in the closure of the corner section of Lake Terrace and main shopping thoroughfare Tongariro St, still a busy arterial despite no longer being a part of state highways 1 and 5, which have been routed around the lake town since the east Taupo bypass opened 9 years ago.
The response to the emergency included installation of a sewer bypass and a lake cleanup, and over 300 metres of new watermain pipes, new stormwater and sewer systems, a new 9-metres-high retaining wall and road reinstatement are now in place.
Taupo District Council chief executive Gareth Green said the project had been a mammoth task, and he thanked the community, travellers and disrupted businesses for their patience.
