Wellington, Kapiti motorists urged to plan travel carefully, expect delays following weather bomb

A road worker clears a landslip in Paremata in Wellington on Tuesday. Photo/Marty Melville

Drivers should plan carefully for any travel and expect delays around the Wellington and Kapiti regions due to ongoing repairs and clean-up from slips and flooding.

"We appreciate that delays can be frustrating," New Zealand Transport Agency regional performance manager Mark Owen said.

"We want to thank motorists for their ongoing patience and understanding after this significant weather event which had a major impact on our roads. We are continuing to provide information so people can plan ahead."

State Highway 1 Pukerua Bay to Plimmerton is now open to two lanes northbound, and one lane southbound, under a temporary speed restriction of 50 km/h. The wire rope barrier has been lowered so the stretch of road will look different.

As there is a major slip on Airlie Rd, it is not recommended as an alternative route, Owen said.

A small section of State Highway 1, northern end of Coast Rd will be operating under a single lane stop/go closure, through to at least 4pm this afternoon.

Motorists should expect significant delays. This closure is required for emergency slip clearing of the rail and state highway network.

State Highway 58 from State Highway 2 to Paremata is currently open to Hutt-bound motorists. For Porirua-bound motorists, the road is open to Postgate Drive where a diversion is in place to the Whitford Brown traffic lights.

At Judgeford golf course on State Highway 58, a stop/go closure is in place and people should expect delays. This temporary traffic management is in place 24 hours a day, and is likely to be active until at least Friday. State Highway 58 is currently not suitable for heavy vehicles and until further notice they should use the State Highway 2/1 route.

State Highway 58 between Paremata and Postgate Drive will be fully closed from 7pm Wednesday through to 5.30am Thursday morning. This is to allow crews to get in and clear slips and debris.

Local roads, Grays Rd and Paekakariki Hill Rd remain closed.

State Highway 2 motorway is still down to one lane, just north of the Ngauranga interchange. This is due to the temporary diversion of the Hutt on-ramp and may lead to delays during peak times.

There are alternative routes to the Hutt Valley, including via State Highway 58. Motorists travelling south on State Highway 1 and wanting to access State Highway 2 to get to the Hutt Valley should continue south on State Highway 1 into Wellington, take the Hawkestone offramp and follow the signposted detour to access State Highway 1 northbound, to then rejoin State Highway 2 just north of Ngauranga.

"We are expecting rain through to Friday. While it won't be as heavy or intense as Tuesday, there is still ongoing risks of further slips which may require emergency work to clear. Some parts of the network have suffered significant damage and will require further assessment to identify permanent repairs," Owen said.

"We continue to advise people to check for updates on our website and via our social media so that they can make informed decisions about their journeys."

People can call 0800 44 44 49 for updates and the Transport Agency's website and social media accounts will be also updated as more information is available.