Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Contractors will be back at the site of an overslip on State Highway 6 at Dellows Bluff next week.
Rob Service, System Manager for Nelson/Tasman, says work is about to resume at the overslip site, which occurred during heavy rain in October last year.
“Contractors have already done work here, with rock blasting and tree removal done in February this year.”
“However, during this work, site investigations revealed the slip was far more complex, larger, and more fragile than originally thought,” Mr Service says.
SH6 Dellows overslip site, October 2024
He says the work was put on hold and plans for a fix were revised.
“We now have a plan in place and the first phase of it will begin next week.”
“Contractors will build a new access track south of the slip site, remove some trees, and build a landing from which further work can be done. We expect this to take about a month to complete,” Mr Service says.
To ensure both workers and drivers are kept safe while the tree-felling is underway and the new access track is being built, Mr Service says there will be intermittent road closures during the day.
“We do not want to put traffic at risk from falling debris. So, there will be periods when we will have to stop traffic during the day between 7 am and 5.30 pm.”
“They will be no longer than 15-minutes and work crews will do their best to ensure drivers and the community aren’t too disrupted. Access for emergency services, school buses, and other critical transport will be prioritised,” Mr Service says.
Phase One work schedule
- Monday 30 June to Friday 25 July. Monday to Friday, 7:00am–5.30pm (weather permitting)
- Stop/Stop traffic management – expect delays of up to 15 minutes
Next steps
Mr Service says once the tree-felling is complete and the access track built, contractors will be able to resume stabilising the slip site.
“It is expected this will take one to two months to complete.”
We will have to put shipping containers back at the site to ensure the highway and traffic are protected from rockfalls, and work crews will do as much work as possible within the road shoulder,” Mr Service says.
However, he says there may be times when traffic will have to be stopped.
“If there are large boulders or other debris at risk of falling and endangering traffic, we will put safety first and use stop/go traffic management at the site. Though, this will be for short periods only.”
“We understand we are doing this work during winter, but it is time critical and cannot be delayed. This is a critical section of State Highway 6 and, with no local road detours, or alternative highway alignments available, it is essential the slip is stabilised and fixed as soon as possible,’ Mr Service says.
These works are weather-dependent, and schedules may change. Updates will be provided as the project progresses.
Project schedule
30 June–Late July: Tree felling and access track construction
Late July–August/September: Slope stabilisation
September: Pavement repair, including roadside drainage and shoulder works
Mid-October: Road reopened and back to normal level of service
