December downpours force closures across Kapiti roading network

Kāpiti Coast District Council is asking for patience as it works at pace to deal with issues throughout its roading network following weeks of wet weather.

“Our network has taken an absolute hammering, particularly after last night’s downpour. We have slips and fallen trees forcing closures on Akatarawa, Paekārāriki Hill and Waterfall Roads. Our crews are on site working to clean up but these roads will likely remain closed to through traffic for tonight’s commute home. Residents will still be able to access their homes,” says Glen O’Connor, Access & Transport Manager.

“To give you the scale of what we are managing today, it is extremely rare that we have all three roads closed together. Water, mud and debris are moving down many of our steeper roads making it very slippery to navigate. If you’re not a resident of these areas, avoid using these roads.”

It’s not just slips that Council is contending with. General surface flooding has worsened existing potholes and erosion across the district.

“Summer is traditionally when we get stuck in to our maintenance programme and our scouting trips today have identified that a lot of the areas on our schedule have significantly worsened overnight,” says Mr O’Connor.

“An earlier slow slip on Ōtaki Gorge Road at Blue Bluff (12km inland from SH1), which had already forced the road to close, has had further movement today. We are looking at a large amount of material that is unstable. Please avoid the area – it’s dangerous.

“We’ve diverted all our resources to manage the most urgent issues but it will take time for us to clear the backlog of work. We are asking our community to please take care out there, be patient with us and report any issues they are coming across. We are working as quickly as we can.”

To keep up to date on our work and the status of roads in our network, see https://www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/services/a-z-council-services-and-facilities/roads/road-closure-status/