NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said it was aiming to reopen SH6 south of Knights Point at 10am tomorrow, subject to any further weather issues and road loading tests
All safety-critical rock blasting and scaling at the Epitaph Slip area was now complete, NZTA system manager Mark Pinner said.
“The rock scaling and explosives team has been working continually since Monday last week to make this site safe for it to reopen.
"As well as removing rocks which directly threatened the highway, using air bags, explosives and helicopter sluicing, they have also tackled a number of other unstable rock faces around this section of highway, with more to come to provide some future-proofing.”
He said the highway would also close overnight from 9pm to 7am "for the time being" while NZTA gained more assurance of slope stability.
All highway cracks were filled in earlier this week and drainage drilling outlets piped.
A bund or safety wall has now been built from fallen rock at the southern end of the rockfall site.
There was more work to come which would also require road closures at times, Pinner said.
- APL
