Buses will be allowed to join a convoy on the Haast Pass from Wednesday, as work continues to clear a massive slip that closed the highway for several days.
Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency confirmed that light vehicles and campervans would be able to travel through Makarora on State Highway 6 from today in two convoys, at midday and 4.30pm.
Eighty vehicles travelled towards Wanaka and 68 towards Haast at midday. The figures for the 4.30pm convoy were not known.
From Wednesday, vehicles weighing more than five tonnes (eg buses) can join the convoys also, Southland and Otago systems manager Robert Choveaux said late this afternoon.
“We are pleased that testing of the bridge this afternoon has given us confidence to allow heavier, permitted vehicles back on the Muddy Creek bridge as of tomorrow at the allocated convoy times.”
The convoy times for the rest of the week are 8am, midday and 4.30pm daily - with the Lake Hawea/Makarora convoy departing first and once through, the western side Blue Pools group will move.
Mr Choveaux thanked the crew for the dedication and work to date to clear a full lane of the road over the Muddy Creek bridge.
'It is our lifeline'
The news comes as Waka Kotahi faces criticism for its handling of the blocked highway - regarded by a Haast tourism operator as a "lifeline" for the local community.
Wilderness Lodge co-founder Dr Gerry McSweeney said the agency and its contractors seemed more interested in political point-scoring and were too slow reopening the road.
The alpine pass remained closed at Muddy Creek after a slip last Thursday. The kilometre-long slip left up to 20,000 cubic metres of material over the road, bridge and creek bed.
Dr McSweeney said contractors from the West Coast had gone to the site and started work on Saturday morning - two hours before anyone from the Wanaka side of the slip arrived.
Then at 12.35pm the West Coast contractors were told to stand down.
They were told the work would be carried out by Otago operators and they were not needed.
"The Haast community is aghast. It is our lifeline, the start of the school holidays and the beginning of the summer season, and it is going to be blocked for a week," he said.
"Work should be done at both ends. That way it could be done a lot quicker. I just do not understand it."
The transport agency had been "too vague" about the road reopening and he had received inquiries from clients about whether they should cancel their trip, he said.
“We do not underestimate how vital this highway link is for everyone - both Otago and Westland/ the West Coast."
Mr Choveaux said a large amount of material needed to be cleared from the site, but he was optimistic controlled access would be feasible.
"Conditions ... remain dynamic, challenging and subject to change - any amount of rainfall could affect access."
Before yesterday’s announcement, travellers and locals alike showed up at the Makarora township in the hopes of being let through the roadblock just north of town.
Whitebait festival
A small group of whitebaiters from Haast arrived yesterday morning hoping Waka Kotahi would arrange an escort along the route that afternoon.
The agency said it was very aware of a whitebait festival in Haast on Saturday.
The convoys mean that people will be able to get into Haast from Otago and back out again, weather and conditions permitting.
Crews would continue work around the convoy times to clear material and stabilise the road getting it ready for two lanes and safe, unescorted access.
"[It’s] not so bad for us because we’re staying at Lake Hāwea and we can do other things, but I feel sorry for other people," Mrs Hawke said.
A staff member at the Wonderland Makarora Lodge said although their cafe was closed yesterday, they would consider reopening over the remainder of the week based on the amount of passing traffic.
- additional reporting ODT Online
