The reopening of the Manawatū Gorge following a slip has been delayed by several hours.
On Thursday the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) had announced State Highway 3 through the gorge would reopen at 7am on Saturday, with a one lane section past the site of the April 9 slip.
The new estimated timeframe is that the road would not reopen until late morning.
NZTA regional journeys manager Delaney Myers said the adjustment of the scheduled reopening time was because work removing loose material and preparing the site for traffic is taking slightly longer than initially estimated, and crews needed to put safety first.
"We're nearly there, we just want to make sure we do the job right, and that we keep everyone safe."
The Gorge will be closed again at 6pm due to the difficulty in monitoring the safety of the slip site at night. While the road is open NZTA contractors will be on hand to monitor the road.
The Gorge is expected to be open from 7am until 6pm from Sunday, with a decision on its full reopening to be made next week.
Electronic signs at the approaches to the Gorge will advise motorists of the state of the road.
The NZTA advise motorists to leave enough time up their sleeves to use the Saddle Road, in case the road needs to be closed with short notice.
Source: Manawatū Standard
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