Gorge diversion prompts warning

Traffic making its way over the Saddle Rd between Tararua and the Manawatu after a slip closed. PHOTO / JOSH WEBSTER

With State Highway 2 through the Manawatu Gorge likely to be closed for up to two weeks, many of the 6000 vehicles which use the gorge every day will be taking the Saddle Rd detour.

Currently, sections of the Saddle Rd are a construction site as contractors Stringfellows work on its multimillion-dollar upgrade, funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

This work follows the more than $5 million of repairs and improvements the NZTA had undertaken during and after the Manawatu Gorge closure in 2011.

The NZTA agreed to fund the latest upgrade to provide a viable alternative route after a slip first closed the Manawatu Gorge road in August 18, 2011 - followed two months later by another massive landslide which wiped out the road and bridges in the same spot, closing the highway for 15 months.

The Manawatu Gorge section of SH3 is considered one of the most difficult roads in New Zealand to maintain.

The narrow road is cut into the southern side of the gorge and is perched 20m above the level of the Manawatu River.

And while the amount of debris which came down in last week's slip is not large, the unstable rock face above the road cannot be reopened until it is removed, NZTA regional performance manager Mark Owen has said.

Meanwhile, those using the alternative route across the Saddle Rd are being urged to take extreme care and adhere to the speed restrictions in place.