SH1 quake progress

A badly quake-damaged stretch of State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura could be reopened by mid-December. Transport Minister Simon Bridges told Parliament yesterday that contractors were making “very strong progress” clearing the highway. “Work is continuing at pace to clear slips on State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura, with crews working hard to clear several large slips and rockfalls.” The New Zealand Transport Agency hoped to restore controlled single-lane access for residents and essential services by mid-December. However, this would be dependent on weather and any further earthquakes. Bridges said restoring full access on SH1 north of Kaikoura would take considerably more time to complete, due to the scale and complexity of the slips. “The task ahead of us is huge.”