“There has continued to be movement in the hillside over the last couple of days, with a substantial amount of material falling today,” he said.
Kinvig said further geotechnical assessments will be done to determine the approach for stabilising the hillside.
“This must be fixed before the road can safely reopen to traffic.”
He said they understood the news was not what anyone wanted to hear.
“Our team is still in the early stages of assessing the best solution, and we will confirm more details as soon as we can.”
Brynderwyns update: Our reopening of State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyn Hills will be delayed by a number of weeks due to an active slip.
We were scheduled to fully reopen SH1 on 13 May 2024, but due to a slip at the site where we're working to repair the road damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle, this is no longer possible. The slip occurred over the weekend at Kauri Tree Corner (zone F) on a slope roadworkers were working to stabilise—you can see a map of the worksite in the comments.
As you can see in this video recorded today (30 April), the slip is still moving with a substantial amount of material falling today. We're urgently doing geotechnical assessments to determine our approach to stabilising the hillside based on this new slip. We can then continue our repairs to shore up the road for winter and provide resilience in the short to medium term.
We know this isn't the news anyone wants to hear, but we need to fix this before we can safely reopen the road. Everyone wants the road opened as soon as possible, and we're committed to completing these vital recovery works ahead of winter to ensure the road is safe and reliable.
We're still in the early stages of assessing the best solution, and we'll confirm more details as soon as we can. We appreciate how frustrating this is for everyone affected by the closure, and also for the roadworkers who've worked so hard to keep to schedule.
We'll keep you updated here and in our Brynderywns newsletter as we work as quickly as we can to complete the work. Visit our website to sign up: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/sh1-brynderwyn-hills/
For more travel information about the closure, including detour routes, check out this update: https://www.facebook.com/nztanorthland/posts/708960454741386
Posted by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi - Northland on Monday 29 April 2024
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Darryn Fisher said the delay “prolongs the hurt”.
“It’s coming into winter so the weather is going to impact that, and it’s down season anyway. But I’m glad the slip didn’t happen when the road was open.”
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the most important thing was that no one was hurt when it happened.
“It’s always going to be frustrating for businesses and truck drivers.
“The biggest thing from the community is to get behind them and support them.”
NZTA said it would keep everyone updated through its e-newsletter and social media channels and reminded motorists of the three detour routes; SH12/SH14, Paparoa Oakleigh Rd and Cove Rd.
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.
