New road access to Humpridge Track 'progressing well'

Construction of a new access road to the start of the Humpridge and South Coast tracks is currently under way.

The Blue Cliffs Beach section of the Papatotara Coast Road was badly damaged after a combination of severe weather and spring tides washed away large sections of the road in June of this year.

Southland District Council assets manager for roading Russell Hawkes said Southroads had been working on the new inland route, which was being constructed on the terrace above Blue Cliffs Beach, for the past three weeks.

At its eastern end, the new road starts from the Rowallan Burn Bridge and climbs on to the terrace where it winds its way westward through scrub, bush and old logging tracks before heading towards the coastline and meeting back up with the road near Rarakau Lodge, a total distance of 5.3km.

Mr Hawkes said it was a cheaper option to construct a new inland section of Papatotara Coast Road than to rebuild the beach section.

"We would have just spent a lot of good money to reinstate a road that had a good chance of being washed away again," he said.

The estimated cost to repair the beach section of road would have cost between $1.2 million to $1.3 million, while the new inland route would cost around $850,000, he said.

Southroads maintenance manager Stuart MacLeod said with good weather the construction of the new road had been "progressing pretty well".

The new road cut through 1km of native bush, 1.5km of scrub and used an existing 2.8km of track, Mr MacLeod said.

"Realistically" the new road would be opened by January 2009, unless they had a "remarkable" run of good weather, he said.

"If everything's on our side there'll be some limited access before Christmas."

Tuatapere Humpridge Track logistics manager Alistair King said it was now the peak season for walkers and the closure of the road had "greatly" affected their business.

Mr King said they had been promised the new road would be opened by November 23. However, it would be "excellent" if they could get access before Christmas.

Each year 7000 people used the beach road to access the Humpridge and South Coast tracks. Those who did not have vehicle access along the beach faced an extra 7.5km walk on their trip, he said.

Mr King said he would normally ferry people to the start of the tracks from Tuatapere in a two-wheel drive van, but with the road washed out he was now forced to use his own four-wheel drive to do the job, making two trips a day.

While trampers had not been put off walking the track by the extra 7.5km, he said it did "make them blink their eyes a bit".