The main highway to Kaitāia will be closed for at least another year as workers clear 15 major slips in the Mangamuka Gorge.
The ongoing closure of State Highway 1 means losses for businesses, extra freight costs and a huge inconvenience for those trapped either side of the closure, said Kaitāia Business Association’s Andrea Panther.
“It impacts every single person – it doesn’t matter what age you are – either in time or in money,” she said.
The gorge has been closed indefinitely since a storm in August 2022, when heavy rain fell on top of a record-wet winter.
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Despite fears the highway could be permanently closed, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency secured $100 million in December 2022 to fix the route.
Slip work began in late February and Waka Kotahi revealed late last week the work will be finished in May 2024.
Waka Kotahi/Supplied
Some of the slips on SH1 at Mangamuka Gorge have collapsed the highway and will need reinforced anchors and piles to fix.
Project director Norm Collier said the work involved using 700 piles to fixi 15 major slips – some up to three storeys high.
It may be possible to partially open the route at the Christmas holidays, he said in a social media update.
In an update email, Waka Kotahi acknowledged the impact the closed gorge was having on travel for work, school, businesses and connectivity.
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Andrea Panther, Kaitāia Business Association chairperson, says everyone in Kaitāia and surrounding towns are impacted by the Mangamuka Gorge’s ongoing closure. (File photo)
Panther said it was disheartening the community would have to wait another whole year for the key route to reopen.
“I don’t understand why they can’t get one lane open, like all the other state highways. It’s really disappointing for lots of people.”
This is the second time the gorge has had a major closure in as many years: A one-in-500-year storm in July 2020 closed the road for a year, with slip repairs costing $16.2 million to fix.
The detour on SH10 through Kerikeri can add 30 minutes to an hour onto trips and diverts traffic away from particular businesses.
Some businesses have faced a massive down-turn, Panther said.
“it’s not just in Kaitāia, it’s Ōkaihau, Ōhaeawai and all those places [impacted] by the lack of flowing traffic through there … Plus the extra cost and extra time,” she said.
