Haast Pass to stay closed while 'massive amount' of material cleared

Haast Pass (State Highway 6) will likely remain closed for some time after the route was covered in an enormous amount of slip material during last week's heavy rain. 

The road is the only route between Otago and the West Coast. Those in South Westland now face at least a nine-hour journey to get to Queenstown via Arthurs Pass. 

The SH6 route has been closed since Thursday morning’s torrential rain when an overflow of spill north of Makarora flooded the highway for up to a kilometre at Muddy Creek.

"It is a huge job," Waka Kotahi system manager for Southland and Otago, Robert Choveaux said.

"We estimate at least 20,000 cubic metres of material will be trucked from the highway to stockpile points before we can fully re-open this highway.

"At the bridge itself the material is up to four metres deep and with the combination of snow in recent days has turned concrete-like," he said. 

The massive job of clearing the debris is being undertaken by West Coast and Central Otago crews, who are expected to remain at the site for days.

Machinery operators on two excavators, two loaders, five trucks and a bulldozer are continuing to make inroads to the material on the highway to get to the bridge deck itself, Mr Choveaux said. 

"We understand the inconvenience this represents for hospitality providers in South Westland and Queenstown Lakes District, particularly at the start of the school holidays."

"Crews are working extremely hard in a restricted, narrow strip of road to get this part of the Haast Pass back to two lanes and something like normal services restored this coming week."