The main road into one of Auckland's most well-known beaches will re-open later this week after damage from Cyclone Gabrielle saw it closed for more than two months.
Auckland Council has announced that restrictions on vehicle access into Piha will be removed this Friday at 12pm, but that trip times will be longer than before.
The main road into Piha suffered extensive damage during the cyclone and will have its access reduced down to one lane in a section near the beach's main lookout.
Auckland Transport chief engineer Murray Burt said in a statement that permanent repairs to the road were still in the planning stages.
"We’re asking for everyone’s patience when they’re travelling to and from Piha because journey times will be longer than what people were used to before Cyclone Gabrielle.
"We have temporary traffic lights in place for the short one-lane stretch near the lookout to ensure safe traffic flow," he said.
Geotechnical assessments showed the road could safely cope with increased traffic when the cordon lifts, according to Auckland Transport.
Footage taken by Jenene Crossan shows the damage left by Cyclone Gabrielle. (Source: Supplied)
"We are currently working on plans for permanent repairs to Piha Road, and we will update the Piha community once we have completed our technical assessments and initial design work."
The council's deputy recovery manager Mace Ward said most walking tracks in the area would stay closed alongside local access roads.
"Unfortunately, most of our walking tracks around Piha, including the popular Tasman Lookout /Tasman View, Lion Rock, Liard Thomson and Kitekite Falls tracks, and Marawhara Walk, sustained significant damage and remain closed," he said.
"An inner cordon will remain on Rayner Road and Marine Parade to prevent access to the most affected areas.
"While the removal of the main cordon on Piha Road is a great milestone to reach, there is still a lot of work ahead to support the community through recovery."
Scenic Drive will also continue to be down to one lane in a section near Elevation Brasserie, Auckland Transport said.
Meanwhile, cordons remain in place in other coastal communities in Auckland. Muriwai and Karekare continue to have access limited to residents and emergency services only.
Auckland Council said both communities had suffered extensive landslips and road damage, which continue to present a risk to public safety.
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