A reminder that a stretch of State Highway 35 at the Punaruku slip site will be closed overnight next week for drainage work.

Crews will focus on installing culverts at the site of the Punaruku slip, which was damaged in January’s storm.

This stretch of SH35 will close overnight for three nights - Monday 22 June to Wednesday 24 June - 8pm to 6am each night.  The work is expected to be complete by 6am on Thursday 25 June.

During the day, the road will be open under the current stop/go traffic management, with a temporary lower speed in place.

Contingency dates if work is delayed by weather or unforeseen circumstances are Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July (3 nights). 

Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the site but there will be no detour during the closure periods. Please plan your journeys outside of the closure times.

Onsite work

Crews onsite have been working to install initial drainage on the hillside and begin ‘benching’ it.

During next week’s closures, two new culverts are being installed under the road so full closures are needed to allow machinery to safely operate. The culverts will help divert water away from the slip face and the damaged roadside, helping to minimise further erosion. 

Benching work will see the hillside cut into a series of horizontal levels or steps. This work will create an access track to enable further recovery work on the slip.  It is widely used in slip repairs to catch falling debris and to create a flat, stable foundation before building permanent retaining structures.  

This work will be done under the existing traffic management set up, with stop/go traffic lights and delays of approximately 5-10 minutes. 

Waioweka Gorge

A reminder too that night closures start this weekend on State Highway 2 through the Waioweka Gorge as critical work to further stabilise the Goldsmith Slip continues.

Reminder: SH2 Waioweka Gorge night closures from this Sunday

15 June - Planned works ahead for top of SH35

Upcoming night closures are planned on State Highway 35 (SH35) Punaruku Hill located between Te Araroa and Wharekahika/Hicks Bay, as additional drainage work takes place.

Crews will focus on installing culverts at the site of the Punaruku slip, which was damaged in January’s storm.

This stretch of SH35 will close for 3 nights later this month - Monday 22 June to Wednesday 24 June - 8pm to 6am each night.  The work is expected to be complete by 6am on Thursday 25 June.

During the day, the road will be open under the current stop/go traffic management, with a temporary lower speed in place.

Contingency dates if work is delayed by weather or unforeseen circumstances are Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July (3 nights). 

Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the site but there will be no detour during the closure periods. Please plan your journeys outside of the closure times.

The road ahead

During the overnight closures, two new culverts are being installed under the road so full closures are needed to allow machinery to safely operate. The culverts will help divert water away from the slip face and the damaged roadside, helping to minimise further erosion. 

This work involves excavating the road and installing the culverts, followed by backfilling and re-compacting the area so it’s safe to drive on the next day.

In June the team will also be undertaking ‘benching’ work on the overslip (above the road). Benching is a method of cutting a hillside into a series of horizontal levels or steps. This work will create an access track to enable further recovery work on the slip.  It is widely used in slip repairs to catch falling debris and to create a flat, stable foundation before building permanent retaining structures.  

This work will be done under the existing traffic management set up, with stop/go traffic lights and delays of approximately 5-10 minutes. 

Long-term repairs

Technical designs are currently being worked on for the permanent solution being planned at Punaruku.

Site investigation work has been completed by geotechnical experts to confirm ground conditions. This involves drilling four boreholes in the road corridor and extracting soil and rock samples to determine how strong and stable the ground is. This information helps engineers design safe, cost-effective, long-term solutions.

Safety

We continue to closely monitor the Punaruku slip area using a range of methods. 

A Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) remains in place for the road. That’s the safety plan we use to help guide early action when conditions become riskier than normal. It uses things like rainfall, wind, ground conditions, and on-site visual inspections to help determine whether access needs to change to keep people safe.

That means even while the road is open, we may need to change access, increase restrictions, or close the road again at short notice if safety thresholds are reached. We know that can be disruptive, but we won’t take risks with the safety of road users or road workers.