Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Contractors have more work ahead on Wellington’s state highway network following bad weather over the weekend.
Lane closures had to be put in place on State Highway 59, near the Mungavin interchange in Porirua, and State Highway 2, near Melling in Lower Hutt, following slips on both roads on Sunday morning.
Following extensive work by contractors, State Highway 2 was fully reopened shortly after 4 pm and State Highway 59 by around 5:30 pm.
SH2 slip near Melling, Lower Hutt. 27 November.
SH59 slip near Mungavin interchange. 27 November.
Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington/Top of The South, says monitoring of both slips is continuing, and further assessments will be carried out tomorrow (Monday).
“We will have experts on site to check both slips. It is important we get an accurate assessment on how stable these slopes are and what risks of further movement there might be.”
Mr Owen is also praising the work of road crews and their response.
“A lot of material has come down in these slips, and our contractors did a fantastic job reopening the roads as soon as they did. Once further investigations are done, we will have a better idea of what repairs will be needed and how much more work our crews will have to do.”
Meanwhile, Mr Owen is thanking Wellington drivers and affected residents for their cooperation and patience.
“Having two major highways affected like this is a huge hassle, and we understand the frustration it causes. Our contractors work as hard as possible to reopen roads when these events happen.”
