Worker hit by truck in SH1 rebuild zone north of Kaikōura
Sunday, 5 November 2017
A man working on the State Highway 1 rebuild north of Kaikōura has been hit by a truck.
A St John spokeswoman said they received a call about a man being hit by a truck near Ohau Point about 7.30am on Sunday.
She said a 58-year-old man was taken to Kaikoura Hospital in a moderate condition.
A police spokeswoman said 'at least three' police units were sent to the incident around one kilometre north of Rakautara Stream, near Halfmoon Bay.
READ MORE: Opening date confirmed for crucial highway north of Kaikōura
A New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) spokesman confirmed the man was a rebuild worker. He has since been discharged from hospital.
The spokesman said the incident would be investigated thoroughly.
A WorkSafe spokeswoman at 6.15pm said they had not been notified of the incident.
The crucial highway is due to reopen on December 15 after being badly damaged in a magnitude-7.8 earthquake last November.
The road is being rebuilt by the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery alliance, made up of over 100 organisations including the NZTA, KiwiRail, and a range of contractors.
Trucks carrying freight between Picton and Christchurch have been forced to go via the Lewis Pass since the highway closed, a detour estimated to cost the industry $2.7 million a week.
The highway's closure has severely restricted the flow of visitors into tourism-dependant Kaikōura, causing hardship for many of the town's businesses.
When it reopens, the road will have unsealed sections, single-lane sections, and nighttime closures. Scheduled daytime closures are also possible as work continues.