Coromandel MP warns SH25A may be out of action 'for months'

Sunday, 29 January 2023

The slip on SH25A Kopu-Hikuai Rd suffered a further significant collapse and the road is closed until further notice.

Drivers will need to look for alternatives to SH25A “for months” according to Coromandel MP Scott Simpson, while Mayor Len Salt has said repairs to the main highway into the region will “not happen quickly”.

Thames-Coromandel Council said on Saturday the road would likely remain closed for some time after a “significant collapse” in the wake of the heavy rain and flooding hitting the region.

On Sunday, Salt said assessments were still being conducted on the state highway, but the damage was “pretty serious”.

He also said they were getting minute-by-minute updates on the conditions, and expected “more weather to come in”.

SH25A had previously suffered cracking after Cyclone Hale.

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“We can expect, and we’re working on contingencies, for more rain,” Salt said.

He also said he had presented a Roading Resilience Project to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, and that “we have to be looking at the roading network”.

He said that at present though, “our main priority is keeping people safe”.

He advised against any non-essential travel and said anyone in any difficulty should call 111.

“Emergency services are out there and ready to act,” he said.

Simpson said the area was “almost all cut off” at present, and he also expected another day of heavy rain.

He also said he believed a number of the region’s roads would remain “closed for the foreseeable future”.

While he said it was too soon to talk about timelines for reopening, he did warn motorists who would typically use SH25A “look for alternatives for months”.

Waka Kotahi regional manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult said that while “significant progress” had been made overnight to fix damage and reopen roads across the North Island, the continued rain was creating additional slips.

Hori-Hoult also said they working to ensure the safety of both road users and road workers.

“With heavy rain forecast (on Sunday) and for the rest of the week, timing our work around the forecast weather will allow us to carry out this work as quickly as possible,” she said.

She also said earlier reported closures on SH3 near Te Kuiti and at the intersection with SH37 have now both been opened.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council Facebook page warned that while the eastern seaboard was taking the brunt of the storm, “our entire roading network remains under pressure”.

Council said State Highway 25A Kōpū-Hikuai, the 309 and Tapu-Coroglen roads remain closed until further notice.

The intersection of Weka St and Linton Cres in Whangamatā is closed due to a small tomo.

A number of slips have come down overnight on the Whangapoua Hill between Coromandel and Whitianga, and a large slip has has occurred between Whiritoa and Whangamatā. These roads are open however please take care and travel with extreme caution as there are lots of slips, some on blind corners.