The New Year has seen the resumption of resilience and rockfall remediation work on State Highway 6 between Moeraki and Haast.

Severe weather in November saw State Highway 6 closed at the Epitaph Slip site following a major rockfall and flooding.

Major rock scaling work required to remove dangerous unstable rocks above the highway was put on hold over the holiday period so the teams on site could take a well-deserved break.

There was no movement or other changes at the site over the break, and with the holiday period over, work crews have returned to the site to continue with further blasting and removal of material above the highway.

From this week, there will be weekly road closures at the slip site every Tuesday and Thursday, between 12:30 pm and 4 pm. These will continue until March.

The closures are essential. Because explosives are being used, it will not be safe to drive through the works area and the highway must be closed while rocks and debris are removed.

NZTA/Waka Kotahi appreciates the closures will create delays and disruption for drivers. However, it is critical this work be completed to improve the highway’s safety and resilience.

Because there are no available detour routes, driver must be aware of the closures and plan their travel accordingly.

Updates on the highway’s status can be found the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website. Drivers are encouraged to check road conditions before they travel.

• Highway Conditions – West Coast

Works Schedule:

• Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 12:30 pm to 4 pm. Closures will be ongoing until March.
• SH6 CLOSED to all traffic at the Epitaph Slip Site. No immediate detour available. Drivers should avoid the area and time their travel to outside the closure periods.

© Scoop Media