A large slip below State Highway One at the Mangamuka Gorge has left roading authorities unsure when the road through the gorge will reopen, but it could take six weeks.
A series of slips closed SH1 through Mangamuka Gorge overnight on July 17/18 when a storm dumped 220mm of rain - about two months worth - in a few hours.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says it's still too early to say when SH1 through the gorge could be opened to traffic.
Most of the road has been cleared to at least one lane, but there's still no way past the biggest slip on the northern side of the gorge. The hillside under the road fell away during the heavy rain two weeks ago, leaving metres of road surface suspended in the air.
Waka Kotahi Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said safety was a priority as her team assessed the slip and the repair job needed to reopen the road.