Temporary road closure for Hunua slip

Ongoing slips on Hunua Road have led to its temporary closure tomorrow, Saturday, to allow contractors to clear debris from the area.

Most of the slips are on Hunua Road about 600m-800m past the entrance to Hunua Quarry, and about 150m before Hays Creek Road. Auckland Transport (AT) says the hill is solid rock with minor fractured rocks and organic material on the surface.

Earlier this week, AT implemented temporary traffic lights at the slip site, bringing that section of road to one lane.

An AT spokesperson told the Franklin Times that Hunua Road will be closed from 8am tomorrow, September 20, to allow contractors to remove debris from the site.

It is expected to be completed by 4pm, but work could finish earlier or later depending on how much progress is made on removing the loose material, AT said.

“Once the loose material has been cleared, we will have a much better idea of the scale of the issue, and this will also inform our next steps to rectify it and make the bank safer in the long term. Any long-term solution would need to be worked through with the Franklin Local Board.”

One resident told the Franklin Times numerous scarring from historic slips were clear to see by anyone driving through the Hunua Gorge from the Papakura side.

When asked whether the ongoing slips were solely an issue for AT, the spokesperson said: “We have had an initial discussion with the Hunua Quarry operators and are working to identify if there are any drainage issues on the quarry side of the bank.”

Scarbro Environment has applied for resource consent to establish a 790,000m³ managed ‘fill’ for building waste in Hunua, which would see a large increase in the number of trucks using the road through the Hunua Gorge.

• Are you affected by the ongoing slips on Hunua Road? Get in touch by emailing editor@franklintimes.co.nz.