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Road works - Centennial Park area

Construction work will begin Tuesday 24 June around Centennial Park area to install concrete islands and road line marking. The roads to be marked are: Te Kūiti Road, Park Street, William Street and Ngarongo Road. We ask kindly that this area be kept clear of vehicles and residents do not park on the road for the next couple of days. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Slip on Te Waitere Road – please drive safe

Council is aware of a significant slip on Te Waitere Road. Currently the road is down to one lane with priority give way traffic control in place. Given there is poor weather forecast towards the end of the week, we encourage those needing to pass through this site to be vigilant and drive safely and to the conditions.

Home Our Council News News and Media Releases 2016 September Update – State Highway 3 likely to remain closed until at least Wednesday

Update – State Highway 3 likely to remain closed until at least Wednesday

19 Sep 2016, 1:46 PM

NZ Transport Agency Traffic Bulletin

The NZ Transport Agency is advising motorists wanting to travel between Taranaki and the Waikato that State Highway 3, south of Mokau is likely to remain closed until at least Wednesday. This follows a major slip blocking the road from Sunday 18 September, triggered by a large amount of rain over the weekend.

 “We appreciate that State Highway 3 is the main route between Taranaki and the Waikato, and we are working hard to get this section open again as soon as it is safe. We understand that it is frustrating and inconvenient to have this important route blocked, and we appreciate everyone’s patience,” Karen Boyt, Regional Performance Manager, NZ Transport Agency says.

“A large amount of material has come down, and our geotechnical engineers have advised us that there is further risk of instability and more slips, which is why it is still not safe to open the road yet. This morning we have arranged for a drone to examine the area, which will provide us with valuable information for our assessments. We will use a helicopter to sluice the cliff face, to help remove the loose material from the cliff,” Ms Boyt says.

“The make-up of these cliffs mean that they are prone to rock falls and slips, and we have previously put in place wire mesh over the cliff face, and concrete barriers at the bottom of the cliff to help prevent material falling on to the road. We have not had a major slip at this site since 2012,” Ms Boyt says.

Motorists are advised to use an alternative route via State Highway 1 or State Highway 4 via Whanganui, which will add approximately three and a half hours to the journey.

Other local road routes via Ohura and State Highway 43 are not suitable detours for State Highway 3 traffic. They are narrow, windy and unsealed roads not suitable for heavy vehicles or those unfamiliar with the roads, and are not capable of supporting larger volumes of traffic. State Highway 43 has also been subject to closures over the weekend due to weather-related slips.

The NZ Transport Agency's website - www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic -  will be updated with road status information, and we will have electronic message signs at key routes advising whether roads are open.

Transport Agency contractors are also on site at a slip at Tangarakau Gorge, State Highway 43. This section is currently open to one lane, under stop/go management, so motorists can expect short delays as this route is cleared. Motorists should continue to check the Transport Agency’s website and social media and the electronic message signs to see if the route is open.

 “As conditions can change rapidly, we advise people to check the latest road updates before they get on the road. This could mean delaying your journey,” Ms Boyt says.

Motorists can get real time information from:

From 6am to 7pm weekdays, updates will be available on:

The Transport Agency’s Winter Journeys website  www.nzta.govt.nz/winter-journeys brings together tips on winter driving and links to get updates on the latest weather and road conditions.