State Highway 3 between Mokau and Piopio will remain CLOSED overnight and until further notice due to significant damage caused by heavy rainfall this weekend. 

There are multiple large slips in the area, and crews are working hard to keep the public safe and clear the road as quickly as possible, however it is expected that the road will remain closed for a number of days.

So far crews have removed almost 50 truck loads of material from the closure.

Meanwhile, State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui will also remain CLOSED today due to damage caused by flooding and slips.  

Geotechnical assessment is underway today along both highways to determine the extent of damage and repairs required.

Road users are advised to limit all unnecessary travel and drive to the conditions.

More rain is forecast across parts of the region. Slips and other hazards can occur with no notice, so please drive to the conditions.

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20 April - 6.23am:

A reminder that State Highway 3 between Mokau and Piopio in northern Taranaki and State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway both remain closed.

Crews have been working yesterday on SH3 to clear thousands of cubic metres of material following flooding and slips over the weekend.

SH43 Forgotten World Highway closed yesterday afternoon due to flooding between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui.

Crews will be out on both roads early this morning assessing any further damage before any decisions are made around reopening.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will provide an update mid-morning.

In all areas, please take extreme care while driving and be prepared for long delays. While Mt Messenger north of the tunnel is now open, it’s under stop/go traffic management and people need to drive to the conditions.

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19 April:

State Highway 3 between Mokau and Piopio in northern Taranaki will remain closed overnight as crews work to clear thousands of cubic metres of material following more heavy rain and slips overnight.

SH43 Forgotten World Highway has closed again this afternoon, due to flooding between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, and will also remain closed overnight. 

It remains open between Stratford and Whangamōmona but please drive to the conditions.

As of 2.30pm:

SH3 between Mokau and Piopio CLOSED 

SH43 Taumarunui to Whangamōmona CLOSED

In all areas, please take extreme care while driving and be prepared for long delays. While Mt Messenger north of the tunnel is now open, it’s under stop/go traffic management and people need to drive to the conditions.

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As of 9am:

The stretch of SH3 was closed overnight until a safety assessment this morning.

More rain overnight has fallen causing further slips and flooding. Crews are continuing to assess SH3 with trucks and excavators currently working to clear lanes.

Within the first kilometre of the gorge, 25 truckloads of material have been removed from the road, with additional material still to be removed.

SH43 Forgotten World Highway between Taumarunui and Whangamōmona is now open, under traffic management and reduced speed.

In all areas, please take extreme care while driving and be prepared for long delays. While Mt Messenger north of the tunnel is now open, it’s under stop/go traffic management and people need to drive to the conditions.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will provide a further update mid-afternoon.

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7.48pm Saturday 18 April:

Slips and flooding have now closed Forgotten World Highway

A stretch of State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway has closed due to flooding and slips.

Heavy rainfall has caused a number of slips between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, closing that stretch of road overnight.

Stratford to Whangamōmona remains open, however, with more rainfall predicted overnight, please drive to the conditions and take care.

SH3 between Mokau and Piopio is also closed overnight.

Both state highways will remain closed until crews can assess the roads tomorrow morning for any possible damage.

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6.30pm Saturday

State Highway 3 between Mokau and Piopio is closed due to slips and flooding caused by heavy rainfall.

The road will remain closed overnight.

Crews will assess the road tomorrow morning for any slips or damage. It will remain closed until it is deemed safe to reopen.

Road users are advised to avoid travelling this area until further notice.

More rain is forecast for tonight across parts of the region. Slips and other hazards can occur with no notice, so please drive to the conditions.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will provide an update mid-morning tomorrow (Sunday). In the meantime, keep up to date with NZTA’s Journey Planner.