State Highway 3 through Awakino Gorge will safely reopen to traffic from 6pm today. 

The gorge, connecting northern Taranaki and Waikato, was closed in the early hours of this morning after some fresh land movement overnight. 

The barrier currently in place, which has been designed to catch any material, has done its job and safely caught that material. 

A geotechnical assessment this morning gave crews the go-ahead to start clearing the ‘bund.’ 

The ‘bund’ which is the safety gap between the barrier and the hillside is regularly cleared out whenever there is movement from the hillside. 

The road will be able to open from 6pm today under a mix of two-lane traffic and stop/go traffic management. 

Please take care driving through the site and expect delays, with the risk of mud splashes. 

We continue to closely monitor the site, with cameras and people on the ground, to ensure the road remains safe for road users. While closing the road is the last resort, our first priority is making sure it remains safe to travel on.