Kaimai road open to one lane

A section of State Highway 29 past the Ruahihi Bluffs is open to one lane this morning after the highway was closed due to heavy rain washing rocks and debris onto the road on Sunday.

Tauranga Police say the highway past the slip will be reassessed at 10am, but until then the single lane section on the curve past the power station is under control of a stop-go man.

One lane on SH29 through the Kaimais is closed due to a slip.

Bay of Plenty state highways manager, Brett Gliddon, says the heavy rain undermined rocks on the Bluffs, posing a risk to motorists.

Detours were in place on Sunday via Poripori Road through to Crawford Road, Wairoa Road and back onto SH2, adding about half an hour to journey time.

“Motorists could be delayed on this detour by the single lane bridge on Crawford Road. That’s why it would be preferable for people to use the alternative state highway routes instead wherever possible,” says Brett.

“We will do our best to keep delays to minimum and get the road open as quickly as possible.

“We apologise for the inconvenience, but safety of highway users must come first. We’d like to thank motorists for their patience and we hope they will be able to make the best use of the diversion and alternative routes provided.”