Residents from Kaitāia and surrounds are worried State Highway 1 could be closed for up to a year due to slips, like it was after a storm in July 2020.

But Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says the damage after heavy rain this week is not as catastrophic as the 2020 event.

Heavy rain on Thursday and Friday isolated Kaitāia from the rest of the country, with flooding on SH10 at Kāeo and SH1 closed at Rangiahua by flooding and slips at Mangamuka Gorge.

The flooding receded on Friday morning but SH1 would stay shut at Mangamuka Gorge until at least Monday, Waka Kotahi regional manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult​ said.

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There were about 15 over-slips – where material had fallen onto the road – and one bad under-slip – where material beneath the road had fallen away.

Geotechnical engineers would assess the under-slip over the weekend and would open one lane of the road as soon as possible, Hori-Hoult said.

But more slips in Mangamuka Gorge was “the worst news ever” for Kaitāia and surrounding towns, said Andrea Panther from Kaitāia Business Association.

The area was severely impacted by the gorge being shut for a year after a storm in July 2020, with businesses, visitors and residents all being affected.

The road reopened in mid-2021.

The alternate route on SH10 added about 30 minutes to a trip to Kaitāia and the road ended up being congested and blocked, Panther said.

“We’re crossing our fingers that it could be fixed soon. It’s just so critical to have that road open – it’s State Highway 1 and it would not be closed for a year anywhere else in the country.”

Far North mayor John Carter went to check the slips on Friday morning and thought they looked bad.

“The under-slump slips, from a lay person’s point-of-view, seem to be serious,” he said.

“It’s a serious situation and the worry is that it could have a serious financial impact on Kaitāia and the businesses further north.”

But Hori-Hoult said the slips were not as large as the 2020 slips, which included an under-slip where 7000 cubic metres fell 150m below the road.

“It’s not as catastrophic as it was previously and what we have fixed hasn’t moved at all.”

Hori-Hoult continued to urge people to avoid driving in the Far North if they could and to watch out for slips and surface water on Friday.

As well as the Mangamuka Gorge, SH10 was closed near Kāeo due to flooding and SH11 had one lane closed near Lemons Hill due to slips and fallen trees.