Night closures will begin next weekend on State Highway 2 (SH2) Waioweka Gorge as critical work starts to stabilise the Goldsmith Slip.

Night closures and daytime stop/go traffic management are needed, so a large crane can carry out drilling and installation work for a rockfall attenuator.

On Saturday 6 June, the Waioweka Gorge will be closed for one night, from 9pm to 5am, so crews can begin initial drilling and investigation work. A one-hour window from 1am to 2am will allow freight through.

From Sunday 21 June, there will be further closures for 10 nights, from 9pm to 5am, as installation continues. Work will take place Sunday to Thursday, with no work on Friday or Saturday nights. A one-hour window from 1am to 2am will again allow freight through.  

From early July, installation of the steel net will begin. This work will be carried out during the day under the current stop/go traffic management in place at the Goldsmith Slip. 

Other recovery work will continue throughout the Gorge under stop/go traffic management.

A rockfall attenuator is a large steel net which is designed to contain falling rock and debris before it reaches the road.  When material falls, the net slows it down and guides it to the bottom of the slope, where it is safely contained behind a fence and concrete barrier.  

A rockfall attenuator is a common treatment for slips like the one at Goldsmith and provides a near-permanent solution at the site. Once it’s installed, two-way traffic will be able to resume at the slip site, and the Gorge should require fewer proactive closures than it has since January. This will improve safety and reduce disruption for all road users.