The half-way point has been reached in the massive job of clearing slips north of Kaikoura from last year's earthquake, says Transport Minister Simon Bridges.
He said the milestone was reached this week in the Government's effort to restore road and rail links to Kaikoura.
"This is good news not only for Kaikoura but also for the rest of New Zealand as work progresses at pace to restore the road and rail networks that are critical to supporting our economy, keeping these communities connected and boosting the prosperity of this region," Bridges says.
North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) teams have now cleared five of the ten large landslides that buried parts of State Highway 1 and the rail line north of Kaikoura in the November 2016 earthquake.
"Given the size of those landslides, NCTIR crews are estimating that more than half of the total slip material has now been removed from the transport corridor north of Kaikoura.
"The work crews are making good progress and is a testament to the huge effort they are putting in, while ensuring a safe and co-ordinated approach is employed for moving the large numbers of workers, machinery and trucks within the narrow ribbon of land between cliffs and the sea," he said.
Bridges said based on current progress crews remain on track to restore the pre-earthquake transport links to Kaikoura and its surrounding communities by Christmas.
