The highway between Arthur’s Pass and Otira, on SH73, will remain open daily from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Sunday, subject to inspections at the Rockfall Shelter and weather conditions.

The road may open overnight if conditions are stable enough and assessed to be safe. Check the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website for any change to opening or closure times.

• Highway Conditions - Canterbury

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) closed the highway overnight for close to a fortnight after snow and heavy rain triggered rockfall onto the road at the Rock Shelter. The Shelter is at a narrow part of SH73, prone to rockfall.

Recently, the highway has closed overnight between Otira and Arthur’s Pass due to unsafe conditions, with one or two days of shorter hours due to more rockfalls.

Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast, says given the wet and stormy weather along the Main Divide over the past fortnight, it hasn’t been safe to get people and machinery in place to undertake any work in this area.

“We are working at pace to arrange for the rockfall to be stabilised and will have an update later this week on the program for the work. Because of the specialist nature of both the people and equipment needed, there are a number of things to line up before the timing can be confirmed.”

The alternative route between the West Coast and Canterbury is open.

People wanting to avoid any uncertainty getting to the West Coast or Canterbury over the Main Divide should take the Lewis Pass route via Waipara and Reefton/SH7. This adds around an hour to the journey between Christchurch and the West Coast.

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