SH35 East Coast Reopens 24/7 After Severe Weather Repairs

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced the end of night closures on State Highway 35, restoring 24-hour access to the important East Coast route following severe weather events at the start of the year.

Crews have been working since the end of January to restore access after the road was hit by heavy rainfall and large slips, above and under the road, Mr Bishop says.

Until now, the stretch of SH35 between Hicks Bay and Te Araroa has only been open between 7am and 7pm, while the Potaka to Hicks Bay stretch was opened around the clock last week.

The rate of progress on SH35 between January and now is testament to the hard work of NZTA crews, many of whom are local and have been personally affected by the road closures too.

To reach this milestone, crews have removed around 25,000 cubic metres of material - the equivalent of over 750 shipping containers - from the largest slip at Punaruku, installed additional drainage, and laid a new road surface.

While the road will be open 24 hours a day, people still need to drive with caution, as there will be multiple work sites and temporary traffic management and reduced speeds. There's no sugar coating it. SH35 suffered extensive damage in January and work will be continuing for some time. Drivers must take care, especially at night.

This week has also seen work start on the retaining wall at the 40m high Waikura under slip. It’s important we make this site more resilient, and the retaining wall will be an important part of that work.

I extend my thanks to the community for their continued patience while we continue work on this important state highway.