Delays and closure on notorious State Highway 5 stretch after strong wind blows over truck’s empty trailer

The trailer of a truck rolled over at Windy Gap near Te Haroto on State Highway 5 on Wednesday morning blocking one lane. Photo / Warren Buckland

Early morning winds caused delays and then a closure on State Highway 5 on Wednesday after an empty trailer unit of a truck was blown over.

A strong-wind watch was issued for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne that ended at 11am Wednesday morning and winds as high as 107km/h were recorded in the region, on the Takapau Plains, at about 4am on Wednesday.

Police were called to the tipped trailer at about 4.20am near Windy Gap, about 55km northwest of Napier and about 5km south of Te Haroto.

There were no reported injuries and contractors were also called to help resolve the situation.

“One lane is open, and Napier-bound traffic is flowing,” a police spokeswoman told Hawke’s Bay Today just after 6.30am.

As a result of the incident, Waka Kotahi kept the highway under stop-go management until noon, when they closed the highway from Te Pohue to Te Harotohe Rd for an hour and a half to recover the vehicle.

It’s not the first time a trailer has rolled near Windy Gap. A similar incident occurred in 2016 when a truck’s trailer was flipped by strong gusts.

Waka Kotahi Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti system manager Martin Colditz said high-sided vehicles and motorcycles, in particular, should take care in areas where wind warnings are in place.

“When it’s windy, our advice is to drive to the conditions, use your headlights if visibility is poor, and watch your speed and following distances,” he said.

“The other important piece of advice is to be prepared for hazards – debris on the road and fallen trees can be a common sight when there are strong winds.”