Manawatu Gorge hit by new slip
A fresh slip has fallen on the closed road through the unstable Manawatu Gorge.
The third slip since late April has compounded the New Zealand Transport Agency’s fears over the gorge’s instability, which prompted its indefinite closure on July 7.
NZTA regional transport systems manager Ross I’Anson said about 10,000 cubic metres of material, including large boulders, was discovered by contractors inspecting the route yesterday morning.
The debris was likely to have come down over the weekend as a result of heavy rain.
I’Anson said the new slip was about 500 metres from the locked gate on the Ashhurst side of the hill. ‘‘This illustrates how prone the gorge currently is to slips due to the substantial movement recently measured in the hillside.
‘‘The area is highly unstable and the transport agency is warning people to stay away.’’
Geotechnical engineers would review the new slip, and the hillside above it.
I’Anson said motorists should continue using the alternative routes of Saddle Rd and Pahiatua Track, which were also undergoing intensive maintenance.
NZTA was working on solutions to issues raised by the public in meetings last week to manage the impact of the gorge’s closure, especially for the communities of Ashhurst and Woodville.
Palmerston North-based courier driver Judith Graham is worried the daily commute to Dannevirke will become unsustainable.
Graham works for her husband, Marsh, who is contracted to Mainfreight. Just months before the gorge closure they bought a new truck, which Marsh drives to Dannevirke daily and Judith drives a van.
When the gorge was closed for more than one year in 2011, they lost about $30,000, she said.
For now, they were ‘‘bearing the brunt of’’ the latest closure but if their costs got too high they would have to consider giving up their courier route of nine years.
Graham did not want to give up the Dannevirke run as she had made friends there and usually enjoyed the commute.
However, having to use Saddle Rd not only meant more wear and tear but it guzzled through diesel, costing an extra $300 a month, she said.
NZTA started its maintenance work on Saddle Rd on July 15, but this means vehicle use is restricted to one lane. The agency plans to have cleaned up the dozens of potholes lining the route by the start of August.