The highway link to Gisborne via SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge will experience intermittent closures next week because of blasting.

Explosives will be used to dislodge material overhanging the slip face from the March slip.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says the direct link between Opotiki and Gisborne will be closed on Tuesday 19 June at 2.00pm for about an hour, and there will also be intermittent closures on June 20-21, for an hour at a time at 11.00am, 1.00pm and 3.00pm to allow for the remainder of the work to be completed.

'This work is required to allow us to continue with the reinstatement of the state highway by speeding-up the removal of bulk material from the slip face,” says Bay of Plenty state highways manager, Brett Gliddon.

'The decision to blast this section was made on the basis it was the safest and most efficient way to dislodge this material with minimal disruption to road users.

'We are very aware this is an important road for the Gisborne and Opotiki communities. That's why we've timed these works to take place when heavy freight and other traffic volumes are lower than other times of the day.”

Closing the highway while blasting takes place is a safety measure.

'We will do our best to keep delays to a minimum and we encourage motorists to plan their travel either around the times the works will take place, or if they choose to travel at these times, then to factor in the extra one hour delay.”

The estimated 80,000 tonne slip cut the highway on March 2/3. It remained closed for nearly a month before a single lane diversion past the slip face was opened on March 29. It began as a daylight only opening and went 24/7 about two weeks later.

Motorists wanting to find out more about the road works or the detour route should go to the NZTA's website at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/current-conditions/index.html; or freephone 0800 4HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).