Slip-damaged SH1 expected to reopen tonight

The scene of the major slip on SH 1 near Kawakawa. Photo / Kenny Rodger

A storm-damaged section of Northland highway closed since last weekend is expected to be reopened tonight.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said it would complete a detour around the slip on State Highway 1 near Kawakawa this evening.

"We're on the last leg of our work to construct a detour past the underslip and all going well we should have traffic moving again around 8pm," said regional journey manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

The highway, which is the main road link to the far north, has been closed since Saturday when a 70m section of road collapsed.

Contractors have been working around the clock to construct a 100m detour past the underslip.

"Getting SH1 re-opened was our number one priority after that storm and we're rapt that in under a week our team have constructed a new road from scratch," Ms Hori-Hoult said.

The detour will be open to all traffic with a 30km/h speed limit in place, and manual traffic control at night.

"The detour is temporary and it is not as wide as the state highway. It is important that everyone observes the speed restrictions we have in place. They are there for the safety of all road users and our contractors, who will still be working on site."

Ms Hori-Hoult thanked Northlanders for their patience during the past week.

"Your support and understanding has been an important part of completing the detour successfully and we're all delighted to be able to get the highway re-opened so quickly."

NZTA will now focus attention on permanent repairs to the underslip.