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Big effort by road crews sees Ta¯kaka Hill highway reopened

Cherie Sivignon

The Ta¯kaka Hill highway linking Nelson to Golden Bay/Mohua reopened yesterday afternoon after crews cleared slips and redirected water flows.

The State Highway 60 route was closed mid-Thursday afternoon after heavy rain and debris overwhelmed a culvert and flooded the highway.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the road was reopened at 4.15pm yesterday and would remain open 24/7, barring any future emergency works around slips and flooding, or planned night works.

At 2pm yesterday, queues of vehicles were escorted in convoy past the slip site, and those with urgent appointments on either side of the hill were also given escorts.

‘‘We thank everyone for their patience, and our crews for doing their best for the public. We know how important this highway is,’’ said the agency’s system manager, top of the south, Andrew James.

It was originally feared that the highway could be closed for all of yesterday because of the volume of debris. James said the first slip on Thursday afternoon and a fallen tree had been cleared, but a second slip occurred nearby late in the day, keeping the highway closed overnight.

Elsewhere in Tasman District, three roads that were closed on Thursday due to flooding and/or slips – Stafford Drive, Higgins Rd and Waimea West Rd – were reopened by 8am yesterday.

However, Dovedale Hill, from Sharp Rd to the end of the seal, remained closed due to fallen trees. Golden Hills Rd and Redwood Valley Lane also remained closed due to flooding.

In central Nelson, the remains of a slip were evident on Rocks Rd.

Meanwhile, residents of Eightyeight Valley are being advised to boil all their drinking water due to the high rainfall and increased turbidity in water going to the local treatment plant.

The Tasman District Council says it is likely that the boil water notice will be in place for three days.

Wastewater overflows have also affected some areas of the district.

In Richmond, wastewater overflowed at the Beach Rd-Fittal St pumping station and entered Waimea Inlet.

‘‘People are advised not to have contact with the water or take shellfish from the area north to the Ta¯hunanui Back Beach for the next three days,’’ the council said.

The Sunview Heights pumping station on Hill St South was also affected by the rain, with the possibility that wastewater got into a nearby stream. Therefore, people were advised to avoid contact with the area for 24 hours.

At Motueka, a minor overflow at the Ledger Ave pump station occurred in the early hours of Thursday. Although it was minor, people had been advised to avoid the area of Ledger Goodman Park surrounding the site for 24 hours.

A septic waste pump truck was used to manage the flow from the School Rd pump station at Riwaka, where high water levels caused an overflow from the site, adjacent to Riwaka School.

News

en-nz

2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281569473875509

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