State Highway 1 north of Kaikōura is set to reopen this afternoon following severe flooding, however the section of highway south of the town will likely remain closed for at least a couple more days because of damage to the road.

The section of SH1 from Kaikōura to Ward, in Marlborough, is due to open from 5pm today.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is stressing that after the flooding, this route north of Kaikōura won’t be in the usual condition. People will need to travel with extra care, and give themselves plenty of time, as some sections will be down to a single lane and subject to traffic management.

“Our teams have worked hard to get this Kaikōura to Ward section of SH1 to a state where we can reopen after floodwaters have receded,” says NZTA maintenance and operations area manager Mark Pinner.

“We are very conscious that we will still have a closure from Kaikōura to Waipara, in Canterbury, carrying into a long holiday weekend and during the school holidays. However, we have to put peoples’ safety first. The flooding has caused serious damage to the highway south of Kaikōura, including significant chunks of the road washed away in places by the high river levels. This presents serious risks to anyone using that section of highway.”

A state of emergency was declared yesterday in the Kaikōura District due to heavy rain and rivers flooding. A rare red heavy rain warning by MetService for Marlborough and Canterbury between Ward and Hanmer and southeast of the Awatere Valley, including the Kaikoura ranges, has since been lifted and replaced with a Heavy Rain Watch through until tomorrow night.

Following the closure of SH1 overnight from Waipara to Ward, roading crews have today been out assessing the road, and also clearing rocks and debris.

With Inland Route 70/Inland Kaikōura Road also closed, preventing access to Kaikōura from the west, the available detour has been via State Highways 7, 65, 6 and 63, which remains available for those travelling between Christchurch and the top of the South Island.

“We’ll be doing our best to complete the necessary repairs on SH1 south of Kaikōura as quickly as possible so we can reopen that section of SH1 also,” Mr Pinner says.

“The timing will depend on whether we have more bad weather coming through. Tomorrow we will have a better sense of how long it will take, and we will be able to share that with people.”

“We appreciate peoples’ patience and understanding as we recover from what has been a significant weather event.”

The current weather event continues to affect the wider South Island, with the following closures in place:

• State Highway 8 from Fairlie to Lake Tekapo, Mackenzie Basin, because of snow and ice
• State Highway 87 from Kyeburn to Middlemarch, Otago, because of snow
• State Highway 85 from Kyeburn to Palmerston, Otago, because of snow

People are encouraged to continue to travel with extra care over the next few days, especially on inland roads where ice and snow may continue to an issue.