SH35 Tōrere Slips Repaired and Road Fully Reopened

NZTA said repair work at two slips at Tōrere are now complete, and the road has reopened to two lanes, as work along State Highway 35 continues.

NZTA said the underslip has been anchored using an anchored shotcrete wall, and the overslip has been repaired using layered reinforced walls. 

New drainage to protect the slope against further damage has also been added. 

It said the slip site is beside  Te Kura o Tōrere and near an urupā so roadworkers had to take extra care. 

"The work of placing the large rocks that stabilise the slip above the highway, had to be done by hand because of the steep terrain and sensitivity of the site."

NZTA on the work at Tōrere

Further up the coast, part of the road near Waihau Bay is down to one lane. 

An underslip has damaged the road, leaving priority give way in place 24/7 at the site. 

NZTA said it is currently designing a solution to repair the site. 

Also on State Highway 35, the Punaruku slip site remains vulnerable. 

NZTA said "The slope can become unsafe when it rains. Our having to close the road at short notice is likely with winter approaching – particularly during heavy or ongoing rain."

Onsite monitoring equipment, rinfall data and in person inspections are being conducted to check conditions. 

It said the road could be closed, "even if it doesn’t look like anything’s changed on the slip, or we may pre-emptively close the road if conditions are likely to worsen, especially overnight."

Following these closures, the road will reopen after engineer checks. 

Crews have been working to improve the road surface and grounfwater drainage while Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) design a longer term solution. 

Targeted improvments will be taking place to ensure minimal road disruption. 

"Further ahead, we’ll focus on reopening the road to 2 lanes and strengthening the road’s resilience so it remains open and reliable in future storms."