The slip at Diana Falls has been disrupting motorists and West Coast and Otago businesses for just over a month.
The road was closed again yesterday because of further slips brought down by heavy rain.
Agency highways operations manager in Christchurch Pete Connors told the Otago Daily Times yesterday two permanent radio-telephone repeaters were being installed near the slip to enable the agency to alert motorists to problems more quickly.
Mr Connors said there was a radio and telephone ''dead spot'' in the area.
''Radio-telephone coverage has been a nightmare.
''We've had a couple of tries to get radio communication with temporary radio transmitters and that hasn't worked.''
Satellite phone reception was affected by bad weather and now the agency was installing permanent radio telephone equipment to overcome the communication problem.
Mr Connors said that would enable the agency to stop motorists where there were facilities rather than near the slip.
''It's just to improve the experience.
''People don't like being held up, but if we can get them held up somewhere where they can get a cup of tea and go to the toilet, it's much more convenient.''
The nearest facilities to the slip are at Makarora, which is about 40 minutes' drive east, and at Haast, about an hour's drive west.
Mr Connors said the new radio sites were ''not quite'' ready to use.
Communications is expected to be one of the issues discussed at a series of meetings to be held between the agency and local communities, beginning in Hokitika tomorrow. The Makarora and Wanaka meetings are to be held on Friday.
Mr Connors said the slip, which contained some 200-tonne boulders, would settle with time and yesterday's rain was helping.
''The heavy rain we are experiencing at the moment can be our best friend because that's what settles these things down and gets rid of the surplus, loose stuff.''
