State Highway 59 on the Kapiti Coast is set to reopen on Thursday after nearly a month of being closed.
The road was closed in late August due to a series of slips that obstructed the road.
Due to how severe the slips were Waka Kotahi made the decision to give the highway a long-term fix to give the highway maximum protection.
“The size and scope of this work have meant the closure has lasted weeks not days,” said Mark Owen, regional manager for Wellington and the top of the south.
“However, the earthworks that have been done, the new slope benching built and other associated improvements mean this stretch of State Highway 59 is much stronger and better protected for the future,” he said.
Waka Kotahi said that 25,000 cubic meters of material were removed from the highway, with a helicopter assisting the work.
They have installed benched slopes to help mitigate any future slips alongside general road maintenance and the instalment of lights and safety barriers.
An estimated $3-4 million was spent on fixing the highway.
Following a series of severe slips, Waka Kotahi made the decision to give the highway a long-term fix to give it maximum protection. (Source: 1News)
"We appreciate the closure has been inconvenient for residents and road-users," Owen said.
"However we took the opportunity to do extra road maintenance work in the closure zone.”
"This will reduce the amount of work needed in the area over the coming year."
SH59 was previously SH1.
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