Connection between Tairāwhiti and Eastern Bay of Plenty restored from tomorrow

Rockscaling work at the Punaruku slip site along State Highway 35 earlier this month. Photo / NZTA

The connection between Tairāwhiti and the eastern Bay of Plenty will be officially restored with the reopening of State Highway 35 tomorrow morning.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced the restoration this evening.

“NZ Transport Agency crews have been working alongside local contractors since the storm at the end of last month to restore access as quickly, and safely, as possible,” Bishop said.

“While there have been multiple slips along this stretch of State Highway, the focus has been on two particular areas – the Waikura slip between Pōtaka and Hicks Bay, and the largest slip of all, the Punaruku slip, closer to Te Araroa.

“A quarter of a million cubic metres of rocks and soil came down in the Punaruku slip, and workers have shifted 25,000 cubic metres of it to restore access.”

NZTA confirmed the section of SH35 from Pōtaka through to Hicks Bay and around to Te Araroa will be open daily between 7am and 7pm.

Outside those hours, the road will close to allow crews to keep working.

“It’s been a tough three weeks for communities stuck in between the cordons.” Bishop said.

“I’d like to thank the community for their patience and support over this period, and East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick for her strong local advocacy.

“I’d also like to thank all the crews who have been working so hard.”

East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick said she was delighted for the communities in the area.

“They are so close together Te Araroa, Wharekahika and Pōtaka even further around. This has been a major disruption for them over the last three weeks,” she said.

“While it will be hard for a bit longer, that road won’t be a tar-sealed road as they are used to, at least they have access, and they can get backwards and forwards to get about their business.

“Great work from the contractors and great work from everybody up there who have shown such patience in times of real hardship.”

Elsewhere on the region’s recovering roading network, convoys through Waioweka Gorge resumed from 1pm today after a minor slip closed the road yesterday.

The full daily convoy schedule was due to resume from 7am tomorrow.