Urgent work has begun to build a temporary diversion road around the damaged section of State Highway 23 (SH23) between Whatawhata and Raglan which was closed last Wednesday after a major slump in the wake of torrential rain.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is now constructing the temporary diversion through private property and hopes it will be two lanes. So far there is no opening date confirmed for the diversion. The road - the crucial link between Raglan and Hamilton - was fully closed following a serious slip on the section known as the Raglan Deviation.
Waka Kotahi says the diversion plan started to take shape on Friday, and after the agency’s team met with landowners, fence and tree removal began. Earthworks will be carried out over the next few days to create the new temporary road.
“We are very grateful to landowners for their generous co-operation, and to Vodafone NZ for enabling us to work within close proximity of the fibre optic cable that runs through the site of the slump,” says Waka Kotahi System Manager for the Waikato, Cara Lauder.