11 July 2016

Tekapo to Twizel - State Highway 8 – closed due to ice Monday morning

The NZ Transport Agency has closed State Highway 8 between Tekapo and Twizel (Burkes Pass) around 9 am this morning due to ice on the road as temperatures plummeted across the south of the South Island overnight and early this morning.

Transport Agency Journey Manager Lee Wright said once the sun had a chance to warm the road, it would reopen. But in the meantime drivers should take an alternative route or delay their journeys until later in the day. One driver has already rolled their vehicle on the ice.

All drivers should be wary driving around shaded areas on South Island roads currently early in the morning and after sunset when a frost is forecast, she said. Contractors would grit the roads wherever possible.

Drivers should check the Winter Journeys page, the Transport Agency’s Traffic Information pages or phone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS before setting off if conditions are uncertain. Carry chains on the alpine passes, Ms Wright advised.

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