Heavy traffic servicing the East Cape communities is able to use the East Cape road State Highway 35 this week instead of having to detour via Gisborne.
The detour round the slip at the Maraenui Bluff is open to heavy traffic from midnight until 9am.

The site of the slip.

Cars and trucks under five tonnes have access either through the slip site, or via the detour from 9am until noon, and from 2pm till 6pm, while work is being done on the highway.
Because of the slip the highway is too narrow for heavy vehicles.
Both the highway and the detour are one-way, stop-go operations.
NZTA engineers hope later in the week to have the detour open 24 hours for all traffic.