A section of State Highway 2 about 11 kilometres south of Katikati has been closed following a truck and trailer crash earlier this morning.
The truck was carrying volatile goods and the highway will remain closed until the vehicle and its load can be safely removed.
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Bay of Plenty state highways manager, Brett Gliddon, says at this stage it’s not known when the highway will reopen but Police and road crews are working to have access restored as quickly as possible.
"In the meantime there is a well-signed detour in place. We'd like to ask that motorists be patient during this time and plan their journeys around this situation to allow for delays.”
“South and northbound traffic that would normally travel on this section of highway will need to instead use state highways 27 and 29 (over the Kaimais), which will add just over two hours to their journey time.”
Mr Gliddon says motorists should also remember that there is a heavy rain watch in place today. “We’d like to remind people to watch their following distances and please, manage your speeds carefully and drive to the conditions.”
The NZTA’s website is regularly updated with information about most closures and detours at www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic(external link). This information is also available by phoning the NZTA’s free phone on 0800 4HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49), which can also be used to report any significant road issues or hazards which people may come across during their travels.
The NZTA also uses other technology to provide information to enable drivers to make better informed choices about their travel. On The Move is a free service which enables people to sign up for information about crashes, road works and driving conditions on their frequently used routes - to sign up, go to www.onthemove.govt.nz(external link)
