Auckland's Nelson St finally reopens 10 days after panel falls from apartment building

The intersection has reopened but much of the building on the corner of Nelson St and Victoria St West is still netted off. Photo / Dubby Henry

Ten days after a cladding panel fell from an apartment in Auckland's CBD, the road below has finally reopened.

The 40kg cement panel plunged 13 storeys to smash into the street below on June 4, after being ripped off the Victopia apartment building in stormy weather. The building, on the corner of Nelson St and Victoria St West, is undergoing $40m of remedial work.

Engineers then found dozens more loose panels on the building, which was netted off as a precaution.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has demanded answers about the building's safety following the incident, with body corporate documents showing the tower had been shedding corner cladding as far back as 2012.

• Wild weather: Wind tears heavy panel off building in Auckland CBD
• Physicist: Falling panel could have reached 100km/h by time it hit street
• All you need to know about Auckland's Victopia apartment tower: shedding, leaks and defects
• Occupants of apartment building where panel blew off in a storm yesterday are safe, says body corporate representative

The cement panel fell 13 storeys and would have done serious damage if it hit someone. Photo / Will Trafford

Auckland Transport tweeted this morning it had reopened Nelson St between Victoria St West and Fanshawe St, but there would still be lanes closed over the coming days.

Traffic lights in the city were live-managed to help reduce the impact of the closure but it still caused issues, especially for shops in the area. Customers of a rental car company had been forced to drive the wrong way up the street to drop off their cars, and Nelson Cafe saw a drop in customers, who had nowhere to park.