Source: Radio New Zealand
Work to reinstate the washed-out bridge at Ngaiotonga started on Friday, once diggers could reach the area. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Temporary repairs to a washed-out bridge on Northland’s east coast have restored road access to an area largely cut off from the outside world since last Sunday.
The Ngaiotonga Bridge on Rāwhiti Road, east of Kawakawa, was reopened on Saturday after work by contractors, the Far North District Council said.
But motorists were told to only drive at a crawl over the bridge, until permanent repairs can be completed after the long weekend, a council spokesman said.
The reopening means residents of Ōakura, Punaruku and other settlements are now reconnected to the rest of Northland via Russell.
The route to Whangārei in the south, however, is still blocked by a massive slip at Helena Bay Hill, which is expected to take weeks to clear.
Much of the North Island was hit by severe storms this week, that brought heavy rain, flooding and landslides.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
