Whanganui's State Highway 4/Anzac Parade reopens to two lanes after 'temporary fix'

Shipping containers are now in place along the Anzac Parade bank so the road can safely reopen to two lanes. Photo / Bevan Conley

State Highway 4/Anzac Parade has finally reopened to two lanes of traffic after a slip caused mayhem for months.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said shipping containers had been placed along the bank prone to slips, allowing the road to fully reopen safely.

The solution is only temporary while Waka Kotahi considers what steps to take to ensure the cliff face doesn't crumble again.

The slip that closed the road in April wasn't the first at the site, which has a history of crumbling over the last three years.

The first slip in 2018 required contractors to clear a large amount of rock and debris. The earth crumbled again in March this year after a bout of heavy rain, when the road was reduced to one lane for a number of days.

Weeks later, in April, a third slip resulted in the closure of one lane, which remained in place until this week.

Since the April slip, the road has been under one-lane direction by stop-go sign operators during the day and temporary traffic lights during the night.

Waka Kotahi/NZTA Whanganui/Manawatū system manager Ross I'Anson said the agency planned to provide an update on permanent work to the area soon.

"Shipping containers have been put in place as a temporary measure so that we can open the road to two lanes, while we continue to work on a permanent solution," he said.

"We will provide an update to the community when we have more information to share about next steps for the permanent solution."