Rockfall closes Haast highway north of Wānaka

Story updated 3.30pm 

A section of the highway linking Central Otago to the West Coast has reopened after a rockfall has been cleared.

Early Tuesday morning the New Zealand Transport Agency closed State Highway 6 between Makarora and Haast, with motorists advised to avoid the area and delay travel.

"Good work by the excavator crew has cleared away the rockfall, but drivers need to take care around Orman Falls area given some remaining debris and potential for a slower journey as traffic gets going again," a spokesperson for NZTA says.

Fallen trees, boulders and gravel were strewn across the road near the falls earlier in the day.

The section of road was closed for close to seven and a half hours, from approximately 8am until 3.20pm.

Makarora lies 50 minutes north of Wānaka, and State Highway 6 is the only direct route linking inland Otago and the West Coast.

A year ago, significant spring storms caused slips requiring weeks of clean up work by contractors. At that time, the route was shut, and then travel was restricted for several weeks.

NZTA has acknowledged the route is vulnerable to disruption as a result of heavy rain in the catchment.

A much longer alternative for motorists wanting to travel between the Queenstown Lakes District and the West Coast is via State Highway 73 that travels over Arthur’s Pass.

However there are currently daytime delays on that alpine route.

Main image (Supplied/NZTA)