30 January 2026, 4:20pm – SH35 between Te Araroa and Tikitiki now open

State Highway 35 between Te Araroa and Tikitiki is now open

Crews working to clear this section of road after it was badly hit by last week’s flooding and slips have reopened the road, as at 4pm.

Two piloted convoys went through this section of road earlier today and now it’s open, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will closely monitor it to ensure the safety of all drivers and crews.

While much of this section of the road is two lanes, there are multiple areas which remain under stop/go and are single lane, as well as having lower temporary speeds in place.

It’s crucial people driving through do so with caution and follow all the traffic management in place.

29 January 2026, 7.30pm – SH35 between Te Araroa and Tikitiki to open from 4pm Friday

State Highway 35 between Te Araroa and Tikitiki will be open from 4pm tomorrow.

Piloted convoys, which have been operating throughout the week, will continue between 8 and 8.30am and again between 11.30am and 1pm, before that stretch of road fully reopens from 4pm.

That means two lanes of traffic will be open, however as crews continue the huge clean up, there will be some sections of this stretch of road still down to one lane, which means people need to drive with extreme care.

A temporary lower speed will also be in place.

Crews working in the area have mostly cleared large overslips off the road, while other crews continue repairing the road.

While restoring access is important, doing it safely is critical, which means if NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will be constantly monitoring the highway for possible risks.

Te Araroa to Pōtaka will remain closed.

The largest slip within the Pōtaka to Te Araroa stretch, the Punaruku Slip, has been a focus of a safety assessment today and work will begin on developing a track over it in the coming days.