Major slip repair project on Dartmoor Rd now complete

The repair of a major washout on Dartmoor Rd, between Apley Rd and Dartmoor Bridge, has been completed, restoring this important road for the local community.

The slip, which took out almost half the road, scouring out the land underneath, was one of 211 large and complex slips caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Constructed by Downer Group Ltd, work began on the project in March 2024, and required a lot of design, geotechnical and consenting work.

In undertaking the repair, a new channel had to be dug to divert the Tutaekuri River to enable access to the slip face under the road.

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the work was made a priority in the early stages of the recovery, treated as emergency works to avoid the damage getting worse and risking cutting off residents who lived further up the road and up around Patoka.

“This is another very welcome step forward in the recovery of our transport network.

“Many of the residents that live up beyond Dartmoor Rd work in town every day. Repairing this section of the road is about providing vital community access and making it resilient for the future.

“Our thanks to all involved in this project, including the contractors and Mana Ahuriri Trust who worked alongside Council from the start.

“We look forward to going out to market in the next few months and getting construction of the new Dartmoor Bridge underway by the end of the year.”

This morning [April 16] representatives from Mana Ahuriri conducted a blessing at the site to mark the work being completed.

Deputy mayor and Mohaka ward councillor Tania Kerr was part of the blessing and said it was a special and moving occasion.

“This was a very tricky site, the work was impacted by weather disruptions and it was challenging keeping the road open at the same time so it could be used by all of the different trucks needing this route, as well as being a lifeline for the community.”

In this same part of the district, work on replacing Matapiro Bridge, which had to be demolished due to the extent of the cyclone damage, is almost complete with the new bridge now open to traffic. It has been built higher and longer than the original, along with increased pile depth and incorporating two lanes.

While there is still some work to do over the coming months, including completing the bridge surfacing, finishing scour works, removing the temporary crossing, and some minor tidying-up, the project remains on track for completion by the end of June.

Another significant project, the new Puketapu Bridge, will be higher than the previous bridge, have fewer piles in the waterway, and provide two lanes and a shared pathway.

Being constructed by Fulton Hogan, it is expected to be complete by late August.

8 May 2025

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