A stretch of State Highway 35 (SH35) will remain closed between Te Araroa and Hicks Bay overnight and into tomorrow.

The road and surrounding area at Punaruku slip site are extremely fragile and unstable, following rainfall since Friday last week and over the weekend.

Geotechnical inspections and data from our active monitoring equipment have identified tension cracking at the site.

The situation will be reassessed late tomorrow afternoon. Reopening SH35 at Punaruku will be made only when the site is stable and it is safe for road users.

The section of SH35 from Hicks Bay to Pōtaka is open under stop/go traffic management in various places.