Waka Kotahi has secured a total of $100m of funding to restore SH1 Mangamuka Gorge to its original condition after severe weather forced the vital transport link to close in August. Photo / file
Waka Kotahi has secured a total of $100m of funding to restore SH1 Mangamuka Gorge to its original condition after severe weather forced the vital transport link to close in August. Photo / file
Far North residents left in limbo following the closure of SH1 through Mangamuka Gorge are cautiously grateful Waka Kotahi has secured another $86m in funding for the vital transport link.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has now obtained a total of $100m to restore the stretch of state highway to its original condition after severe weather forced its closure in August.
The money includes $14m already approved for emergency work to protect the road from further damage.
Kaitaia Business Association chairwoman Andrea Panther wonders whether the funding will be enough to open the road.
“We as a community just need the road open,” she said.
Waka Kotahi said the funding should “give residents and businesses some assurance before the busy holiday period”.
However, the government transport agency is still not clear how much the total fix will be and there is still no timeline for repairs.
Waka Kotahi project director transport services Norman Collier said detailed design work “will still need to be completed to understand how much the slip repairs will cost, and a timeframe for reopening the road”.
Possible options for longer-term solutions can be expected by mid-2023, he said.
Far North councillor Ann Court surveys the damage of SH1 through Mangamuka gorge which was closed in August following bad weather. Photo / file
“This work is already under way and is being accelerated. We are also working through procurement, further investigations, and resourcing materials so we can start work as quickly as possible once the detailed design process has been completed.
“Waka Kotahi has already engaged with key contractors who are in the process of mobilising the resources needed to complete repairs.”
It’s the second time the gorge has been closed in recent years; it was also hit by major slips in July 2020, and repairs took almost a year and cost $13.8m.
This year’s closure means, once again, motorists have to detour along SH10, adding at least 30 minutes to journeys and loading more traffic onto the smaller highway.
Residents, businesses and the Far North District Council have become increasingly frustrated at what’s perceived to be a lack of action over the reopening of the gorge.
Collier said work to fix the road would include three phases.
These included protecting the road from further damage, which involves emergency works within the gorge as well as improvements to SH10 to ensure it’s working safely and efficiently. This stage already has $14m in funding.
The second stage would be restoring the road to fix the slips and return it to its original condition.
Collier said the final stage would be investigating how the road can be improved and futureproofed to ensure the Far North roading network can withstand weather events in the future.
“With unstable ground conditions in the Maungataniwha Ranges along with ongoing impacts of climate change, the Mangamuka Gorge will be challenged with resilience issues for many years to come.
“We are thinking strategically about our next steps and will investigate how we can ensure the Far North roading network can stand the test of time, and the level of funding required to achieve this.”
