Night work to clear Ōpōtiki slip for SH2 north to be reopened

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi contractors worked through the night in efforts to clear slip debris from State Highway 2 north just past Ōpōtiki.

Contractors worked overnight on the slip that fell on to State Highway 2 at Waiotahe Beach early Monday in an effort to get the highway reopened today.

An NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) spokesman said the crews had made “excellent” progress.

“Crews have been working to clear material from both ends of the large slip, following removal of the pōhutukawa trees above the slip on Tuesday.

They worked through the night to ensure that the road could reopen Friday.

SH2 remained closed between Waiotahi Valley Back Rd and Paerata Ridge Rd.

“Further clearing work will be required in areas outside the lanes next week, which may require stop/go traffic management to remove material,” the spokesman said.

The detour that has been in place for light vehicles this week has not been suitable for heavy vehicles, with freight trucks destined for northern locations having to go the long way round via Hawke’s Bay.

Meanwhile, steady progress has been made on repairing underslips on SH38 to Lake Waikaremoana, typical of the kind of damage left behind by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Wairoa contractors QRS and TREC tackle a complex 8-metre-high underslip site next to Waiau River. They’re using the same repair method used at other underslip repairs along SH38. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says TREC contractors have been making steady progress.

Underslips happen on the downhill side of the road and pose a risk to the road above if they are not addressed.

“Roadworkers have dug a track down to the bottom of the underslip so they can access the site,” Transport Rebuild East Coast’s Jacob Laird said.

“Because they’re working below the road, it’s difficult to see what’s happening when you’re travelling by.

“After the old slip material is removed, geofabric cloth is installed against the cleared slope.

“The cloth prevents materials from mixing while allowing water to pass through it without washing the materials away.

“Roadworkers then use aggregate [a mixture of different types and sizes of crushed rocks] to build the bank back,” Laird said.

“Another layer of the geofabric cloth is laid down to keep the aggregate in place.

“Rock armour is placed on top of the geofabric to protect the aggregates from being washed away by flooding. This repair method helps stabilise the ground under the road and protect the bank from future erosion.

“The reinstated bank will then be hydroseeded,” Laird said. “Hydroseeding is when we spray a slurry of seeds, mulch and fertiliser on to steep slopes to provide stability as well as helping to control dust, erosion, and sediment runoff.”

TREC finished work at the Waiau River site last week and on Monday it started work to repair a scour near Piripaua power station.

More repairs are starting soon near Kaitawa and Mangakino Bridge.