State Highway 35 between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne is now officially closed after crumbling into a river due to the extreme weather.
SH35 at Motu River collapsed along the centre line this evening with the eastbound lane falling into the river.
Traffic had been reduced to a single lane due to the large crack in the road since Monday.
![SH35 cracked down the centre lane, causing it to fall into the water. Photo / Waka Kotahi](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/EM6Q7QSIDL7UQ7ARXO7LNJQ634.png?auth=ad1ea51584299fb1e30600183750f05bed913931c4c6b802562ac62f57cab1f2&width=16&height=22&quality=70&smart=true)
At a press conference today, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty said there was a "high likelihood" that the highway would have to be closed.