Slips on State Highway 2, between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki will likely keep the major route closed until late on Thursday afternoon. Photo / NZTA
Slips on State Highway 2, between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki will likely keep the major route closed until late on Thursday afternoon. Photo / NZTA
State Highway 2 between Gisborne to Ōpōtiki will likely remain closed until late this afternoon as road crews work to clear multiple slips on the major route.
On Tairāwhiti’s local road network, Gisborne District Council was responding to reports of the Motu River flooding Motu Rd between Phillips Rd andMarumoko Rd.
Both lanes of SH2 were closed between Matawai and Waioeka, Waioeka Gorge, due to a slip and downed trees, according to an update from NZ Transport Agency (NZTA).
NZTA said there was no suitable detour.
An NZTA spokeswoman said contractors were working to clear two slips on the Waioeka Gorge road, so it was not likely to open until 5pm Thursday at the earliest.
One of the slips on State Highway 2, Waioeka Gorge, overnight. Photo / Supplied
A police statement at 8.40am said multiple slips along the length of SH2, between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki, will need to be cleared before the road can reopen.
“Roading crews have been deployed to assess and clear the obstructions.
“There is no time scale available for this closure due to the number of slips and obstructions.”
Motorists were asked to take an alternative route where possible or delay travel.
A Gisborne District Council spokeswoman said contractors were going on-site where flooding had been reported on Motu Rd to investigate and make the area safe.
A bridge abutment at Waikura Valley had also reportedly been washed out.
At Gisborne District Council’s Matawai Telemetry station, 124mm of rainfall was recorded in 24 hours from 11am Wednesday to 11am Thursday.
At the Wharekopae School rainfall monitoring site, just over 54mm of rain was detected over 24 hours from 11am Wednesday to 11am Thursday.
