Work continues on a $3 million project at Katiki Beach to safeguard a vulnerable stretch of State Highway 1 from the threat of coastal erosion.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced it would be placing more “rock armour” along the high-risk 7km section of road in June this year.

The southern-most rest area has been closed to the public since work began.

Placing more large rocks along the beach was described by NZTA as the most practical and cost-effective option compared to moving the road inland, which would be “extremely” expensive and disruptive.

Protection work first began in the 1970s and the coastal erosion threat to the key route has been monitored closely since then.

The project was expected to be completed within a year, NZTA said.