Work crews clearing debris on State Highway 1 near Kaikoura now have access to the entire coastal corridor north of the town for the first time since the November 2016 earthquake.
Teams working from the north and south of the significant slip at Ohau Point have met up, marking a significant step in the effort to restore the road and rail links to the area, transport minister Simon Bridges says.
“Construction crews now have access to the entire stretch of the coastal corridor north of Kaikoura which will greatly speed up the reinstatement of this important route.”
Work to install a 9000 square meters of steel mesh ‘drapes’ to protect the area from further rock falls and the clearance of rocks close to the road level that have been previously inaccessible can now begin, he says.
Crews have now cleared seven of the nine major slips that buried parts of State Highway 1 and the rail line north of Kaikoura in the November 2016 earthquake.
“The government remains committed to this important work and it is impressive to see that work is progressing at pace to restore the transport system in what is a challenging environment for work crews.”
Bridges says crews remain on track to restore transport links to Kaikoura and its surrounding communities by Christmas.
