Slip closes State Highway 11 in Northland for at least two weeks

The NZ Transport Agency advises motorists in the Far North that State Highway 11, which links Paihia and Kawakawa, will remain closed for at least two weeks.

A slip approximately 80 metres long is blocking the road just north of Kawakawa in the Lemons Hill area.

A detour via SH10 will add an additional 10-20 mins to the journey between Paihia and Kawakawa.

The early assessment from our engineers is that it could take at least two weeks of work to make the hillside safe enough to reopen the road to traffic, says the Transport Agency’s System Manager Steve Mutton.

“A lot depends on the weather. It’s fine right now, but there have been days of heavy rain and more is forecast next week. More rain could potentially see the slip start to move again.”

“We have started initial work on the slip and we must ensure the safety of our crews. Our engineers will be using a drone to help survey the extent of the slip.”

The Transport Agency thanks motorists for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.

All other State Highways in Northland are open and crews are out checking roads for potholes and other road damage caused by surface flooding in recent days.

Check the Transport Agency’s website: www.nzta.govt.nz for the latest highway information or sign up to www.onthemove.govt.nz for up-to-date information on what is happening on the route you plan to travel; freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS for national and regional travel updates.

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