SH35 reopened, ‘still a lot of work to do’

Logs and other debris burst out of the bush on SH35 near Motu bluff on Sunday afternoon. Picture by Jeremy Coombes/TVNZ

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says State Highway 35 is open again, after logs and debris cascaded on to the highway on Sunday afternoon.

But the agency has cautioned it “won’t hesitate” to close the road again if more safety fears arise.

The highway reopened to a single lane at the site of a large slip between Beach Road and the Motu River Bridge, east of Opotiki, yesterday.

Jeremy Coombes and some fishing buddies were on their way home after a weekend at East Cape when they saw some trees on the road ahead.

He braked in time to see the landslide, hurling logs like matchsticks, burst on to the road in front of his vehicle.

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Waka Kotahi Bay of Plenty transport systems manager Roger Brady said contractors worked urgently yesterday to clear enough material, including large fallen trees, to allow the road to safely reopen to a single lane. They would be working to clear the remainder of the slip.

“Our contractors have done a great job to get a lane open so quickly,” he said. “There is still a lot of work to do, and we’re asking people to drive safely through the site and comply with the temporary speed restrictions which are in place to keep drivers and workers safe.”

Geotechnical engineers would continue to monitor the site closely to manage any risks of further debris coming down on to the road. This means the road may need to close again if weather or visibility deteriorated.

“We know how important this connection is for residents and businesses in the area, and we’re doing everything possible to stabilise the site and keep the road open, but the safety of road users and roadworkers is our top priority and we won’t hesitate to close the road again if needed.”