'Huge job' to get Haast Pass reopened

Up to 4m of debris lies on top of the Muddy Creek bridge following flooding last week, which has closed the Haast Pass (State Highway 6). PHOTO: WAKA KOTAHI

Damage to the Haast Pass (State Highway 6) is so great Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is still unable to say with certainty when the major route will be able to fully reopen.

NZTA Southland and Otago system manager Robert Choveaux said the link between the South Island’s West Coast and Otago-Queenstown remained closed due to the massive amount of slip material around the Muddy Creek bridge area.

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"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.

UPDATE 12:10PM MON 25 SEP
SH6 Haast to Makarora remains CLOSED at this time. Please continue to avoid the area. We are expecting an update late afternoon. ^JP https://t.co/q7Jug6XcKn
— NZ Transport Agency - Canterbury & West Coast (@nztacwc) September 24, 2023

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

"At the bridge itself, the material is up to 4m deep and, with the combination of snow in recent days, has turned concrete-like.

"Water is continuing to flow over the bridge mound of material."

Lana Morrison captures an image of water being spilt from Contact Energy’s Roxburgh Dam on Saturday following heavy rain in the headwaters of the Clutha River. PHOTO: ANDREW MORRISON

An announcement was to have been made around noon today about the likely timing for an opening, or a possible short/escorted convoy opening, Mr Choveaux said.

However, in an update shortly after midday, Waka Kotahi said the road remained closed and a further announcement was expected late this afternoon.

There was no quick alternative from Haast to Queenstown and Central Otago, Mr Choveaux said.

With SH6 closed at Muddy Creek, people in Haast have about a 12-hour journey to get to Queenstown via SH6 to the north, Arthur’s Pass (SH73) and the southern highways from Christchurch.

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

"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."

He said both West Coast and Central Otago highway maintenance crews had been working at the site, and the Otago Aspiring Highways crew worked on it yesterday and would continue this week.

"It is a huge job."

An initial inspection of the Queenstown Cemetery shows about a third has been affected by the severe weather event at the end of last week. PHOTO: QLDC

In Queenstown, an initial inspection of the cemetery found about a third of the area was affected by the storm last week.

Debris is lying across the cemetery surface in the northeast section, but no below-ground disturbance is visible. Some headstones have been displaced.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council has asked people to stay away, both for their own safety and to aid the council’s restoration planning.

Fencing will be erected around the affected area and once it is up, the rest of the cemetery will reopen.

The entire cemetery area was previously mapped in GIS, so the council has accurate records of burial sites.