Nine weeks after the Kaikoura earthquake cut off their road with a massive slip, the farmers of the Upper Awatere Valley will once again be able to drive out of the valley when the road reopens tomorrow.

The slip brought down tonnes of rock and gravels which had to be cleared; a dangerous project which required helicopters, dynamite and a remote-controlled digger.

Marlborough Roads Journey Manager Steve Murrin says, from tomorrow, the road will be open to the public including heavy vehicles up to Class 1.

“Travellers can again travel up through the Molesworth but only in vehicles of up to 7 metres; anything longer than that won’t get through,” he said.

He warns that the road still requires many repairs and people should drive with the utmost care.

“The Awatere Valley Road is a challenging route at the best of times, much of it unsealed, with some very steep sections and some very high precipices so drivers need to take extreme care. At present there are still a lot of cracks that are still be filled and it is not easy driving.”

He said people using the road may face delays as contractors are still at work. Drivers should also look out for stock wandering on the road.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done on the roads and it’s not really the place for people who just want to see what’s been going on.”

The earthquake damage had been a huge technical challenge and the contractors had done a terrific job in difficult conditions to reinstate the road in such a short time, said Mr Murrin.

Nine families in the upper Awatere have been relying on helicopter supply drops since the November earthquake.
ENDS.

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