A short period of road closure is likely in the Karangahake Gorge (State Highway 2) Thursday, 7 June while New Zealand Transport Agency's (NZTA) contractors work on removing a rock boulder currently resting on a roadside bank in the gorge.
State Highway Manager, Kaye Clark, says the work is required ensure the safety of motorists travelling through the gorge. "After a routine inspection identified a possible issue with this rock, we sent in a team to abseil down the rock face to inspect it more closely. As a result, it was decided that the boulder should be removed as a precaution," says Mrs Clark.
Mrs Clark says there will be a road closure for a short period sometime between 11.00am and midday to allow the contractors enough time to blast the rock out onto the road and then remove the fragments. "As long as the weather holds we expect this work to go ahead as planned on the Thursday; however if weather conditions deteriorate on the day we will need to postpone our efforts until the next available fine day."
"We apologise for the inconvenience to motorists around this operation; however we appreciate their patience and understanding and would like to re-emphasise the safety benefits of carrying out this work. For those who would rather not wait either side of the works during the temporary road closures, there are alternative routes available between the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty - either via SH 29 over the Kaimais or via SH 25A."
