Upcoming night closures are planned on State Highway 35 (SH35) Punaruku Hill located between Te Araroa and Wharekahika/Hicks Bay, as additional drainage work takes place.

Crews will focus on installing culverts at the site of the Punaruku slip, which was damaged in January’s storm.

This stretch of SH35 will close for 3 nights later this month - Monday 22 June to Wednesday 24 June - 8pm to 6am each night.  The work is expected to be complete by 6am on Thursday 25 June.

During the day, the road will be open under the current stop/go traffic management, with a temporary lower speed in place.

Contingency dates if work is delayed by weather or unforeseen circumstances are Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July (3 nights). 

Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the site but there will be no detour during the closure periods. Please plan your journeys outside of the closure times.

During the overnight closures, two new culverts are being installed under the road so full closures are needed to allow machinery to safely operate. The culverts will help divert water away from the slip face and the damaged roadside, helping to minimise further erosion. 

This work involves excavating the road and installing the culverts, followed by backfilling and re-compacting the area so it’s safe to drive on the next day.

In June the team will also be undertaking ‘benching’ work on the overslip (above the road). Benching is a method of cutting a hillside into a series of horizontal levels or steps. This work will create an access track to enable further recovery work on the slip.  It is widely used in slip repairs to catch falling debris and to create a flat, stable foundation before building permanent retaining structures.