Ōtaki Gorge Road to stay closed over holidays

22 DECEMBER, 2015

Ōtaki Gorge Road, 13 kilometers inland from SH1, will remain closed over the Christmas holidays at least as concerns mount about the stability of the hillside at a historically unstable area locally know as Blue Bluff.

The Kāpiti Coast District Council says the road is closed to traffic and pedestrians and may remain so well into 2016. This means there will be no access to the popular Ōtaki Forks area and Tararua Forest Park.

Acting Group Manager Infrastructure Services Tony Martin says public safety concerns are behind the decision to close the road.

“We have been doing work in the area, clearing debris from previous slips but this week we discovered fresh large cracks 300metres above the road. As a result, the contractors immediately stopped work and we have closed the area while we carry out further assessments.”

Mr Martin says the Council is working with a geologist to monitor the land movement over the coming weeks to determine the scale of the problem.

“Our suspicion is that the cracks indicate the whole hillside could be slipping and we need to find out exactly what is going on. If our worst fears are realised we could be looking at a closure of months rather than weeks. We will know more by the end of January.”

The Council has erected warning signs at the site of the road closure. It has been in touch with DOC, which has cleared the campsite and Council staff are communicating with the one land owner who lives beyond the road closure.

“The family have lived in the area for a long time and know the problems with the land. They are fully cooperating and making contingency plans for the possibility of a long term road closure,” says Mr Martin.

Mayor Ross Church says the Council and Ōtaki Community Board realise that many campers, walkers and picnickers will be disappointed that they won’t be able to access one of the district’s most popular recreational areas over the holiday period.

“We know the timing couldn’t be worse but we simply can’t take a risk with public safety.”

“Ōtaki has a lot of other family activities and recreational opportunities to offer. I encourage holiday makers to check the Council website for details on walks along the Ōtaki River, the popular Haruatai Park for walking and picnicking and recreational opportunities in the wider Kāpiti area.”

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