Updated: 6:48am – A police escort through a forestry track will allow Northlanders cut off by a washed out state highway to head north, or south, this morning.
Work to repair the 20m-wide hole in State Highway 1, 40km north of Kaitaia is underway, with at least one lane expected to be open by the middle of the week.
The road was washed out by torrential rain on Friday, essentially cutting off access to the northernmost tip of the country.
People needing to travel past it on Monday morning could be escorted through a forestry track, Far North District’s mayor John Carter said.
People needing to go south could meet at the corner of Far North Rd and Trig Rd at 7.30am, and those going north at 113 Hukatere Road at 8.10am.
The same system would be in place for people going home in the evening, with the southbound trip leaving at 5.30pm, and the northbound at 6.15pm.
The escort would also allow supplies to get to shops north of the washout.
But schools said pupils affected by the closure should stay home on Monday.
Mr Carter said the washout had disrupted things in the community, with tourists unable to go north up the cape.
In relation to claims from councillor Felicity Foy, that locals had told her they’d warned the Transport Agency a blocked culvert could lead to a washout in heavy rain, Mr Carter said he had not heard similar claims.
“There’s a lot of speculation but it’s very easy for people to jump on the bandwagon and be critical, but this is the time for us to be positive.
“We need to understand … we had 120 millimetres in an hour, so it was a flash flood, and anything can happen in that circumstance.”
-RNZ
Featured image: The area of SH1 at Pukenui that has been washed out. Photo: RNZ / Supplied
