A section of State Highway 5 about midway between Napier and Taupo will be down to one lane with traffic light control from Friday because of a drop-out threatening the road.
The announcement came just three days after nationwide Government highways manager Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency answered questions from Hawke's Bay Today revealing it was aware of the state of the dropout creeping up to the edge of the southbound lane between Tarawera and Te Haroto and had been monitoring it since more damage was caused in major rain events in late March and early April.
Truck drivers have been expressing fears for the dangers, including possibility the road could collapse beneath the weight of their vehicles.
In a late-Thursday statement, NZTA Hawke's Bay System Manager Martin Colditz said the decision to close the lane past the dropout on the advice of a geotechnical engineer - "to move traffic further away from the slip face."
"This will allow contractors to continue work to manage stormwater through the area safely and avoid the risk of traffic causing any further damage to the road while we identify the best course of action, next steps and timeframes for repair," he said.
