A drone has been used to capture video and images of a slip on State Highway 35 in the East Cape as the NZ Transport Agency investigates solutions to keep the road open.
The 130 m wide slip has reduced State Highway 35 at Maraenui Hill, between Opotiki and Te Kaha, down to one lane over the past two weeks and the cliff face above the road remains unstable.
The Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty highways manager Niclas Johansson said some slip material had been used to widen the road and create a new lane to allow traffic to go through safely and the Transport Agency and its contractors are working hard to get two temporary lanes open.
"Geotechnical experts have been investigating the site using the drone to get a bird's eye view of the top of the slip and the surrounding cliff safely," Mr Johansson said.
"We expect to have an understanding of the situation in the next week or so, then we will start looking at the best long term solutions."
