The canal road from Tekapo to State Highway 8 remains
closed after more than a year as Meridian Energy Ltd
continues to monitor seepage. Photo by David Bruce.
A private road used by the public as a scenic route from
Tekapo to State Highway 8 remains closed after more than a
year.
The two-lane sealed road runs along the Tekapo power canal
between the Tekapo A power station and SH8 but was closed in
November 2008 after owner Meridian Energy Ltd discovered a
slump and seepage.
The road was closed so a patch could be put in place, but has
remained shut because Meridian is still monitoring the
problem to find out how much seepage exists and is
considering a permanent solution.
Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said monitoring equipment was in
place and Meridian wanted to keep the public away from the
area.
He did not know how long the canal road would remain closed.
"We want to do it once and do it right with as little
disruption as possible," he said.
The slump in the canal was found in October 2008, about 8km
from the Tekapo end of the canal in an area which had caused
problems since the upper Waitaki power scheme was built in
the 1980s.
An inspection team, including divers, identified the extent
of the problem and a temporary fix using packing, lining and
wire rack cages was put in place.
The remainder of the canal road, which includes the Mt Cook
Salmon farm, from SH8 almost to the Tekapo B power station on
the shores of Lake Pukaki, remains open.
david.bruce@odt.co.nz
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