A five-month programme of works to clear two slips and reopen the road at Blue Bluff on Ōtaki Gorge Road begins this week, reports Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Sean Mallon, Group Manager Infrastructure and Asset Management, says there are two slips which need to be fixed: an overslip where material has fallen onto the road from the hill above, and an underslip where the road is undermined by a collapse beneath it.

“There’s approximately 15,000 cubic metres of debris which needs to be removed from the site. Some of the debris will be stored nearby but the remainder will be trucked away. So, we ask people to take extra care driving in the area due to the volume of construction vehicles which will be active in the area.

“After the debris has been removed, we’ll rebuild the road along its original alignment near the overslip. At the site of the underslip, we’ll cut back into the bank and realign the road further from the river.

“Due to the nature of the work and the need to use large construction equipment in a confined area, there can be absolutely no pedestrian access through the work site. This means walkers will need to use the Department of Conservation’s alternate track to access the Tararua Forest Park. The track is 4.5km long over steep terrain and will add an extra two hours to someone’s walk,” said Mr Mallon.

All going well, the road will reopen around May 2025, restoring our community’s much-valued access to Ōtaki Forks and the Tararua Forest Park.

The Blue Bluff section of the Ōtaki Gorge Road is 12 kilometres inland from the expressway. The road at Blue Bluff has been closed for safety reasons following slips in 2020 and 2021.

Find out more and keep up to date about the works at: kapiticoast.govt.nz/OtakiGorgeRoad

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