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SH25A on the Coromandel is now closed due to cracks growing after heavy rainfall.
The main road to the east side of the Coromandel is likely to remain closed for some time following a “significant collapse”.
Thames Coromandel District Council said in a Facebook post that SH25A between Kopu and Hikuai was further damaged by Friday night’s torrential rain.
New images showed that cracks in the road had widened noticeably since yesterday.
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The Coromandel Peninsula is now “totally isolated” after flooding and another major road closure involving Thames Coast Rd (SH25).
The Thames-Coromandel District Council Facebook page said Saturday morning that civil defense has advised everyone to avoid traveling on the motorways and try not to drive through flooded roads.
Google Maps
State Highway 25A is one of the main routes to Coromandel’s vacation hotspots.
More than 253 mm of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours, it said.
“The Coromandel is totally isolated.
“The Thames Coast Rd (SH25) is closed at Ruamahunga Bay due to a slip and at Hikuai due to flooding. Another slip between Waiomu and Tapu has closed access to Coromandel. SH25a Kōpū-Hikuai, and the two local arterials, 309 and Tapu-Coroglen, remain closed.”
The council said a rapid impact assessment will be carried out and a further update and forecast for the day will be provided.
On Friday afternoon, the municipality said there was widespread flooding on both sides of the peninsula.
* SH25A Kopu/ Hikuai was closed until further notice due to the worsening washout that developed last week.
* Tapu – Coroglen and 309 roads were both closed until further notice. They are not safe as two lane alternative routes for heavy traffic.
Roads in North Waikato are cut
In North Waikato, there are at least two major slips on the Tuakau Bridge Port Waikato Road, on either side of Te Kohanga. The Waikato District Council said one was about 2 miles from the bridge and one was just west of Hull Road.
There was no access to and from Port Waikato via Kohanga Road or Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Road. Other routes via Klondyke Road or Port Waikato-Wakaretu Road were monitored.
Power is still out in Port Waikato and a Spark cell tower is out of order due to no power. Roading crews prioritized restoring access to the port, which could cause delays in clearing debris in other areas.
There is still a lot of unstable ground in this area, so if you don’t have to travel, it’s best to stay home for now.
Bad weather forecast again
Meanwhile, Metservice issued a severe thunderstorm for much of Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, Taupō and Rotorua on Saturday.
Thunderstorms are expected to form in the afternoon, with some becoming severe between Raglan and Mount Messenger and inland to Taumarunui from about noon to 9 p.m.
Severe thunderstorms can bring downpours with intensities of 25 to 40 mm per hour.
The watch for Rotorua, Taupō and Bay of Plenty runs from 1:30 PM to midnight.