Photo: Tim Miller
A stretch of the Haast Pass Rd near Pleasant Flat was reopened late on Sunday night after a salvage crew was finally able to remove an overturned fuel tanker blocking half the road.
It appeared the driver veered to the side of the highway and the road gave way under the weight of the vehicle, Senior Constable Paul Gurney, of Haast, said.
Specialist equipment for the salvage came from Invercargill and Dunedin.
A police spokeswoman said the salvage crew lifted the 16,000-litre tanker off the road using a crane on Sunday night.
Motorists could still expect short delays on the highway near Makarora today and tomorrow due to rock-scaling work between 8am and 5pm.
