NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has announced it will close the route from February 26 to carry out urgent repair works followinghref="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-weather-far-north-schools-and-roads-close-as-heavy-rain-sets-in/7INMBF77JNFM5LXH67UBLQ6AAM/"> onslaughts of bad weather, including Cyclone Gabrielle.
The closure will mean gridlock in Waipū and drivers who are so fed-up they do not want to stop, said shop owner and longtime resident Patsy Montgomery.
She wanted to see better policing of the traffic through Waipū and more consideration for the shops paying a high price for the closure.
“I have a 6-year-old granddaughter [who needs to cross the road]. We’re pretty angry about the rude drivers.”
Drivers feeling frantic with the diversion and not wanting to stop has also impacted Waipu Pizza Barn, said co-owner Clayton Gwynne.
Gwynne said he is devastated the Brynderwyns will close again.
“We’ve had three and a half years of tough trading; we expect a long, hot summer and now, halfway through that, the Brynderwyns are closing.”
Gwynne also felt for hospitality businesses further north, saying the closure will stop visitors coming to Northland.
He thought if the highway had to close, it would’ve been better if it was after Easter when visitor numbers drop.
Residents are also concerned about the impact of the highway closure on them.
Mangawhai local Chris Hill said the closure is “heartbreaking for businesses” and will also put a lot of pressure on the roading network.
Amy Frater from Cow Shed Pies says the diversion is good for her Mangawhai Village food truck business, which sells homemade pies. Photo / Denise Piper
The detour route has three one-lane bridges which become congestion chokepoints.
Mangawhai local Tony Neels said the traffic created by the Brynderwyns closure is so bad many locals choose to stay at home.
“The roads are already under stress because of the last weather event. They [the council] have been frantically trying to fix the roads but it’s a patch-up job.”
Neels said NZTA needed to think about traffic management at busy intersections in Mangawhai, such as having someone on point duty at the Insley St roundabout, where queues can stretch 1.5km.
“We’ve got lots of roundabouts now but it still doesn’t let traffic flow when it’s under pressure,” he said.
Mangawhai resident Ailsa Trevithick accepted there was no good time to close the Brynderwyns route but said there needed to be better signs through the area for drivers unfamiliar with Mangawhai.
She had heard of people getting lost during the last diversion.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
