“A detour is in place – taking southbound drivers onto Higginson Street and Elsthorpe Road through Otane and then right onto Racecourse Road before rejoining SH2 just north of Waipawa. The detour is in reverse for northbound traffic.”
Motorists are advised to expect delays and asked to use caution when using the diversions.
Fiery beachfront crash near Napier
Earlier, emergency services were amazed no one was injured in a crash in which a car burst into flames on beachfront route State Highway 51 near Napier on Saturday night.
The crash happened about 8.20pm, when a car is understood to have struck the rear of a caravan in the northbound lane a few hundred metres north of the SH51-Awatoto Rd roundabout, which has been in use just a few months after a major safety improvement project that included the installation of “cheese-cutter” separations between the north and southbound traffic.
There were no reports of serious injuries, but one person was “processed” by police for drink-driving and has been summonsed to appear in court.
Police said there were reportedly three vehicles involved, including one towing a caravan, and one of the cars caught fire following the crash.
Citizen video showed the flames exploding across the lane and police said the incident blocked the road in both directions, giving the impression more than one vehicle was engulfed, but Fire and Emergency NZ reported just the car was involved when a single crew from Napier arrived at 8.32pm, and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Police said the southbound lane was reopened about 9.35pm, and the northbound lane soon afterwards, and while there were some social media claims the recent improvements had created difficulties for emergency services getting to the scene the services themselves reported no issues.
Ambulance service Hato Hone St John reported it sent one rapid response unit but it was not required at the scene.
Highways management agency NZTA Waka Kotahi reported the scene was cleared by 10.30pm, and has not reported any damage to the road assets.
The building of the roundabout and the improvements are part of a $20 million programme of work on the Napier-Hastings route through Clive and past Whakatu and Waipatu, including the 3km from the new roundabout north to Ellison St at the entrance to Marine Parade, a section notorious for a high frequency of serious crashes over the years.
Crash into a Napier stream
Meanwhile, police say conjecture that a crash in Napier early on Saturday may have been a fleeing-driver incident is “incorrect.”
A car left Alpers Tce, between Kennedy and Taradale roads, about 1am, crossed the grass on the green belt and nosed into a stream, where it remained more than two days later - late on Monday morning.
Police said emergency services received a call about 1am and no injuries were reported. The driver had left the scene but returned “some time later”.
Police were continuing inquiries into the circumstances of the crash.