Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency this evening said several southern highways were closed, and councils in Otago and Southland are reporting a raft of local road closures owing to flooding, slips and fallen trees.
As at 7.45pm on Thursday four stretches of state highway were closed in the lower South Island: the Milford Road (SH94), Luggate to Mount Pisa (SH6), Makarora to Haast (SH6) and the Aoraki/Mt Cook highway (SH80).
About 7.15pm the Central Otago District Council said Pisa Moorings Road was open to residents only until 8pm, after which it would be closed for the night under a manned Traffic Management closure.
Earlier, there was surface flooding on Pisa Moorings Rd and the culvert was struggling to keep up with storm water.
On top of these closures, spring snow, forecast to be heavy in some places, was making its way up the South Island from Friday into the weekend, MetService said.
“The active weather front moving north up the South Island continues to cause havoc, with 14 severe weather warnings and watches currently in place.”
Snow is forecast from midday Friday from the Lindis Pass north across the alpine passes to Hanmer and the eastern side of the Lewis Pass over the weekend.
The most significant of the highway closures was the SH6 slip on the road between Makarora and Haast.
Waka Kotahi System Manager Otago and Southland Robert Choveaux said the road would remain closed today and overnight.
“While our next update is midday Friday, we need to warn people that the closure is likely to last through this weekend.
"The risk is currently too high for crews to operate machinery safely around this slip site.”
SH80 into Mt Cook is also likely to remain closed for the remainder of the day and overnight, depending on weather conditions and the fire at Pukaki Downs, while SH94 into Milford Sound is also closed all day Thursday, overnight into Friday, owing to a high avalanche risk associated with the torrential rain.
“A reopening tomorrow will be subject to physical inspection and any clearance of slips/ trees when safe to do so. Update on opening timing mid-morning Friday,” the Milford Road Alliance said.
There is widespread surface flooding in Southland, where people are being urged to restrict their travel on roads.
Highways South is managing flooding at a number of places on the state highway network:
- SH1 Bluff highway at Avon Road
- SH1 Bluff highway at Ocean Beach,
- SH1 Brydone
- SH1 Main St Gore at Broughton st intersection
- SH1/SH96 intersection south of Mataura
- SH6 Lumsden-Dipton highway north of Bell Road
- SH6 Kingston-Garston highway south of Kingston
- SH93 Kana St down to one lane due to flooding
- SH94 Croydon
- SH94 between Lumsden and Balfour
- SH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway at Centre Hill
- SH95 Te Anau-Manapouri highway 4km from Te Anau
- SH96 Te Tipua Stream Bridge (SH96 now closed at this point)
- SH96 Dunsdale
- SH96 Winton-Hedgehope highway near Browns
- ODT Online
