A section of State Highway 6 about 45km north of Wanaka will be closed at nights until debris from a large slip is cleared from the site.
NZ Transport Agency Central Otago area manager John Jarvis says the slip came down 12 days ago and has continued to deteriorate since then.
Contractors were working hard to clear debris from the site, but heavy rain had exposed further material, making the site dangerous at night.
"With the safety of road users our number one priority the only logical decision was to close this section of highway between 7pm until 7am each night until we are confident the slip is safely stabilised," Mr Jarvis said.
"Just how long that will take depends on a number of factors, including the weather. We understand the importance of this route and our contractor is working as quickly as possible to make this section of highway secure."
The road is open to single lane traffic during the day although motorists can expect some minor delays while clearance work continues.
Mr Jarvis says the slip occurred late on Wednesday 5th September following recent heavy rain in area .
A very shallow 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck nearby two days earlier, and it was suspected that might have loosened the rock mass above the highway.
For the latest information on this night time closure please go to www.highwayinfo.govt.nz.
