Waka Kotahi delays opening of Brynderwyn Hills due to recurring slip

SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills has been closed since January 27. Photo / supplied

A slip on the Brynderwyns has crushed plans to reopen a vital stretch of State Highway 1 to northbound motorists tonight.

An hour after the reopening of the Brynderwyns was announced, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had to delay the start time due to another slip.

And now the plan for a brief reopening this evening has been canned completely.

SH1 has been closed over the Brynderwyns for the past six days after Friday’s downpours and strong winds caused major slips on the key stretch of road.

Waka Kotahi initially said SH1 between Brynderwyn and Waipū would open to northbound traffic for four hours from 4pm to 8pm, then shifted the opening to 6pm, and finally had to announce it would not open at all today.

“Due to a recurring slip identified just before the road was set to re-open for northbound traffic, SH1 Brynderwyns to Waipu will not reopen today.

“Our crews are currently on site working to clear the slip and will review the cause of it given the relatively dry weather this afternoon.”

The entire route would now be reassessed and geotechnical reviews would be carried out.

Light vehicles could continue to use the local detour while heavy vehicles had to divert via SH12 and SH14.

Waka Kotahi advised motorists to expect delays and apologised for the inconvenience.

Crews had been working all day to clear steep slips and fallen trees just north of the SH12 intersection.

For a full list of current closures on the network, you can check the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.