The New Zealand Transport Agency Katiki Coast Resilience Project started on August 25.
Project manager Jason Forbes said the project involved "rock armouring" between the intersection of State Highway 1 and Shag Point Rd and 300m south of Squire Rd, on SH1.
"State highway 1 at Katiki Beach is located between the main trunk rail line and the Pacific Ocean for a little over 7km. Coastal erosion is occurring along the length of the beach."
Erosion protection structures were constructed in the 1970s where the highway was threatened and realignment was not possible due to the closeness of the railway, Mr Forbes said, but now some of the structures had begun to fail.
As part of the resource consent for the area, erosion has been monitored annually by surveying 13 cross-sections since 1994.
"Four cross-sections were identified of particular concern so a walkover of the beach was conducted to determine the extent of the erosion. This identified 15 areas, different from those surveyed, that were considered high priority."
This project was rock armouring the toe of the worst sites to prevent any further erosion.
KiwiRail contractors were also doing some work at the location clearing slips after the recent bad weather.
The work began about four weeks ago, and the scope of it was still being assessed.
shannon.gillies@odt.co.nz
