State Highway 25: Coromandel highway closed after further collapse

Higgins contractors work at the underslip site on State Highway 25. Photo / Waka Kotahi

State Highway 25 between Hikuai and Opoutere remains closed this morning following further collapse of the underslip overnight.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said convoys were allowed through for a short window his morning but the highway needed to re-close once the convoys were cleared to allow urgent work to continue.

Thames Coromandel Council said further movement occurred overnight which meant the road would be fully closed until this afternoon while further stabilisation work and widening took place.

Higgins contractors work at the underslip site on State Highway 25. Photo / Supplied

Civil Defence Controller Garry Towler urged everyone intending to travel through the area to delay or make alternate arrangements today.

“Please delay any travel to this area until officially notified it is safe to do so as traffic will not be permitted through. Roading crews are doing everything possible to keep the road open, so give them space to get on with it”.

Contractors are cutting further into the hillside to widen the road further away from the underslip, Waka Kotahi said.

The road was originally closed early Monday morning following a washout caused by heavy rain over the weekend.

Waka Kotahi said it would provide further updates early afternoon or as soon as the situation changed.

The ground conditions in the area remain highly unstable. Contractors are constantly monitoring the site to ensure it remains safe, and the road may be closed at short notice should conditions deteriorate further.

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