Helicopters dump water on the landslip which has closed a southbound lane on the Cromwell-Clyde Road on SH8. Video / ODT
Helicopters are on their way with monsoon buckets to a landslip which has closed a southbound lane on the Cromwell-Clyde Road on SH8, and the highway may be closed overnight.
If SH8 to Alexandra is to be closed, the New Zealand Transport Agency said this would be confirmed about 3pm as there is no other easy detour linking Cromwell with Alexandra.
Police were advised of the slip at 9.54am today which occurred at Deadmans Point near the intersection of State Highway 8B. There was still movement in the slip and engineers were at the scene.
At 11.58am, helicopters were sent from Queenstown, a police spokeswoman said.
"Traffic is still getting past, one vehicle at a time," the spokeswoman said.
The New Zealand Transport Agency said crews are closely monitoring and managing the "potentially significant slip" near the intersection of SH8 and SH8B, which is at the entrance to Cromwell.
"People travelling between Clyde or Alexandra and Cromwell need to leave early today to avoid an overnight closure and build in extra time, Waka Kotahi Maintenance Contract Manager Mark Stewart said.
"Anyone who is travelling to Clyde or Alexandra or back to Cromwell today should go this afternoon and not wait for tonight.
"We may need to close this highway overnight from 5pm for everyone's safety. We will also have short delays this afternoon if we are sluicing."
Photo / NZTA
Photo / NZTA
Crews have reduced SH8 to a single lane using Stop/ Go manual traffic management, for about 100 metres in both directions from the junction with SH8B.
The slip, around 30 metres above the highway, is estimated at about 30 metres long, 20 metres wide, 15 metres deep. It was noticed moving relatively slowly but steadily earlier today and the highway reduced to single lane as a result, Mr Stewart said.
The geotechnical advisors are currently on site deciding the best strategy to make the road safe.
"We are planning to sluice the site once weather allows using a chopper. Currently it is foggy so once that fog clears, we will get on with that. Traffic crews will temporarily close the highway while any sluicing is underway for everyone's safety.
"A split in the land has developed above the highway and has destabilised the material underneath it," he said.
"We thank people for building in extra time if they are travelling south on SH8 through the Cromwell Gorge, towards Clyde and Alexandra and to bear in mind the highway could be closed overnight.
