SH6 West Coast road to stay closed for days

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says SH6 between Haast and Knights Point is likely to remain closed at least until the second half of this week.

“We have completed a preliminary assessment and works will start on Monday, clearing rockfall and monitoring. In the next 48 hours we will know more to confirm the programme for the days ahead,” says Mark Pinner, System Manager for NZTA in the Central Region of the South Island.

Significant rainfall of more than half a metre over 24 hours caused flooding and slips along the South Westland highway this weekend with cracking in the road surface at the site of a major underslip at Knights Point – the Epitaph Slip.

A remediation and repair programme is being addressed with urgency by NZTA in this area of complex fractured rocks.

“Two significant issues are at play here – the cracking in the road at the southern end of the site and the rockfall above the road at the northern end,” says Mr Pinner. “These are in two different places, but very close together.”

At the southern end, slope instability related to the Epitaph Slip has resulted in slumping of about 150mm with cracks in the road surface.

At the northern end a gully above the road has dropped around 200 cubic metres of rock between an old road alignment and the new road, creating a greater rockfall risk above the road.

“A rock scaling crew that had been working nearby will set up on site on Monday, at the same time our contractor will begin removing the rocks at the northern end of the rockfall,” says Mr Pinner. This rock removal is estimated to take up to three days.

Mr Pinner says there has been no change overnight Saturday in the visible road surface cracking at Knights Point, but NZTA will know more in another 48 hours.

“While the rock pile is being removed and the higher up rocks are scaled off the site to the north, we will continue to measure and monitor the cracks in the highway.”

Repairs at road level where the road is damaged by recent movement will be undertaken as soon as it is safe to do so. Drainage repairs will help further stabilise the site, he says.

Road crews have been working hard to clear debris and slip material. A track-level route north of Lake Moeraki was established Sunday afternoon, enabling an escorted convoy of visitors to leave after 1 pm, with Civil Defence help. (See photo below courtesy the Wilderness Lodge at Lake Moerak

SH6 from Fox Glacier to Lake Moeraki is likely to reopen on Monday to the public.

“We understand that this is an essential lifeline and tourist highway for the wider West Coast, Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago Districts and we are doing our best to re-establish the link around Knights Point as soon as it is safe to do so.

“Once we have more certainty, we hope to have single lane access during daylight hours, extending to full access once monitoring and geotechnical advisors confirm the road is stable. We will advise if our timeline changes due to new information.”

All other roads on the West Coast are open and the wider West Coast – Hokitika, Greymouth and the Buller District is open for business.

Summary

SH6 Fox Glacier township to Moeraki: Closed currently, slip clearance progressing well. Access to allow visitors to leave happening today, escorted convoy. Full public access expected tomorrow/ Monday.

SH6 Epitaph Slip/Knights Point: Closure from Moeraki/Knights Point to Ship Creek/Haast – likely reopening to single lane, daytimes only to start with, to be advised, unlikely before later this week.

There is no detour route for SH6 at Knights Point. People wanting to get to Greymouth or Hokitika will need to come via Arthur’s Pass or the Lewis Pass from the east coast for the time being, or delay their journeys.