NZTA says Northland state highways could be "proactively" closed before bad weather hits depending on MetService forecasting.
NZTA says Northland state highways could be "proactively" closed before bad weather hits depending on MetService forecasting.
A warning that some state highways could be “proactively” closed this winter before bad weather hits sparked a flurry of concern from Northlanders.
However, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi [NZTA] has since clarified that the message mainly applied to the South Island.
NZTA posted a warning on its Northlandsocial media page that motorists should “be prepared for us to close state highways if winter conditions or bad weather means it’s unsafe to travel”.
“Winter is almost here and our priority is your safety,” the post said.
“We’ll proactively close roads in advance of bad weather to keep you safe while you’re travelling.
The post prompted a flurry of keyboard activity from Northlanders, including over 100 comments and dozens of shares.
Some feared people would take the “backroads”, which are “less safe”, while others questioned what was being done to fix Northland roads and make them more resilient.
NZTA’s social media post has fuelled fears of more road closures for Northlanders.
Others commented they expect closures at the Brynderwyns and Mangamukas “will be first”.
NZTA said the post was mainly meant for residents of the South Island, “where winter driving conditions often involve ice”.
It also said it was part of an annual campaign to “support safer winter driving practices across the country”.
“While this campaign has a focus on areas that are affected by winter conditions such as snow, ice, black ice and frosts, the campaign covers areas that are applicable to all road users ... ”
NZTA said proactively closing a road ahead of significant weather events could happen “anywhere on the network, depending on the weather forecasting information we receive from MetService”.
“NZTA and its contractors aim to keep roads open at all times, however at times roads may need to be closed to ensure the safety of road users and the road.”
A strong wind watch was issued for Northland from 3pm until 10pm on Thursday, with 100km/h gusts predicted.
There is also a risk of squally thunderstorms for the region with periods of heavy rain from late afternoon, and possible hail.
Northland’s two major links to the rest of the country – the Brynderwyns and Mangamukas – have been repeatedly closed for months and years at a time, respectively.
The Brynderwyns are repeatedly closed due to slips such as this one, which happened one month after a four-month closure in 2024.
The Brynderwyns were frequently closed in 2023 because of numerous severe weather events, including Cyclone Gabrielle.
This was followed by a four-month closure in 2024 to fix the damage.
In April this year, a landslip badly damaged cars and blocked part of the road during heavy rain.
Meanwhile, the Mangamukas were closed because of slips in April and May, not long after they reopened following a full, two-year closure because of storm damage.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said there would be the “odd occasion” when the state highways would have to be closed.
“NZTA has no intention of closing the roads for the sake of closing them,” Cocurullo said.
“I’ve been guaranteed this as mayor and chair of the Northland Mayoral Forum.
“Like all Northlanders, I get concerned with major weather events and the impact on our roads.
“That’s why we need projects like the four-lane expressway [from Auckland] to Whangārei, because they’re engineered to a higher standard and will withstand weather events.”
The Government transport agency urged motorists to check its regional facebook pages or website for the latest road conditions.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading and animal welfare issues.
