Waka Kotahi has announced that the main route to Raglan should reopen to the public on Saturday, in spite of heavy rain affecting road surfacing work earlier this week.
The final pavement work is underway, meaning people will soon be travelling on a two-lane temporary diversion road on private property, which skirts the serious slip that closed State Highway 23.
“Our aim is to get this road open by midday Saturday. If we can open it earlier, we will. Road users should keep an eye on the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner and our Facebook page for updates". says Cara Lauder, Waka Kotahi System Manager for the Waikato.
The temporary diversion road will open with a speed restriction of 60km/h but will add only minimal extra time to the journey between Raglan and Whatawhata.
“This could not have been done without the generous co-operation of the landowners, or without the herculean efforts of our work team, who put in many long hours to make this solution a reality."
While SH23 was closed, Waka Kotahi contractors Fulton Hogan took the opportunity to bring forward some planned resurfacing work to a steep section of the highway further west. This will be completed in time for the opening of the diversion road, preventing further disruptions for people travelling on the route.
The new temporary road is raised to protect the fibre optic cable running under the site. The cable was not exposed by the slip, and the ground over it was covered with protective metal plates while the tree felling and earthworks were under way.
Ms Lauder says that the slump is still active. “It continues to move, and geotechnical testing, including drilling and core penetration, is ongoing. We have not yet got the full picture of how Cyclone Gabrielle has impacted the site, and the ground was already saturated due to the unprecedented rainfall over January.’’
The slip significantly worsened after Cyclone Gabrielle; a section of the highway nearly 30m long has dropped around 2.5m, and the slip has crossed over the centreline.
"The temporary diversion road allows us the time we need to thoroughly investigate and plan the long-term restoration of SH23,” Ms Lauder adds.
SH23 between Whatawhata and Raglan was closed on 1 February, after the slip developed on the section known as the Raglan Deviation.
Earthworks on the temporary diversion road were halted on the morning of Sunday 12 February due to a serious incident on a nearby worksite.
Waka Kotahi is deeply saddened by the fatality that resulted. The safety of the people carrying out work on the roads and the safety of all road users are the top priorities when managing traffic through worksites. The site is under full investigation and the matter is with NZ Police and Worksafe.
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