A significant slip in the Upper Buller Gorge has been cleared to a single lane and will reopen from 6 pm tonight, Labour Day, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

The stretch of SH6 between SH65 (O’Sullivan’s Bridge) and SH69/Inangahua Junction, closed overnight and all day today after slip material covered the highway after torrential rain. (See photos below).

It will be open to one lane from 6pm with traffic management in place, says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast.

People should expect a slower journey through the Upper Buller Gorge while the single lane is in place past the slip site.

“Please drive to the conditions as the surface may be slippery with silty material on the road surface. Further clearance work will happen over the coming week so people coming in and out of Westport should expect delays,” she says.

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