Update 1pm:

State Highway 3 (SH3) through the Awakino Gorge will reopen by 2pm today after a geotechnical assessment confirmed it is safe to do so.

Heavy rainfall closed a stretch of the highway through Awakino Gorge this morning.

A Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) will remain in place to guide how we respond when risks increase due to changing conditions, including through rainfall triggers, monitoring and site checks. 

This means the road may still need to close at short notice if conditions change or if safety thresholds are reached.

Please take extra care when travelling through the gorge, follow all signage and traffic management, and allow extra time for your journey if needed.

Our number one priority is keeping people safe. We know this route is important for communities, freight operators and local businesses, and we will continue to closely monitor the site and respond as required.

The hillside remains in a vulnerable condition following April’s storm and subsequent slips. The decision to close is not one we make lightly, but the safety of everyone using the road is a priority.

11.40am - Heavy rainfall closes SH3 through Awakino Gorge:

Heavy rainfall has closed a stretch of State Highway 3 through Awakino Gorge this morning.

The road has closed between the rest area near the Awakino Historic Tunnel and the intersection with Manganui Road.

The road is being monitored 24/7 at the moment and the rainfall today has triggered the threshold needed for the road to close.

The plan, called the Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP), guides how we respond when risks increase due to changing conditions. 

If safety thresholds are reached, we will take action to keep people safe, including adjusting access or closing the road at short notice. 

A geotechnical engineer is currently on site and will review conditions at 1pm. We will provide a further update around 2pm today.

The hillside remains in a vulnerable condition following April’s storm and subsequent slips. The decision to close is not one we make lightly, but the safety of everyone using the road is a priority.