The New Zealand Transport Agency has been working on an historic slip site on part of State Highway 8, which has been called by the transport agency Ash McGregor’s.
Work started in August 2023 and 18 months later the issues around the road remain.
There are 50kmh signs on about 100m of the highway.
NZTA Central Otago maintenance contract manager Peter Standring acknowledged it was inconvenient for road users to have to slow down to 50kmh through the section of highway.
However, the speed had to be lowered, given the ongoing movement in the embankment and the changes in road levels. He said there had been movement up to 50mm in the last month in one spot.
"Anyone less familiar with this site also needs to be made aware of these potential changes. For example, anyone pulling a horse float needs to slow down for bumps like this for everyone’s safety," he said.
"We need to keep traffic safely moving and avoid crashes — which would cause much longer delays overall than a temporary speed."
The plan was to stabilise the underlaying slip by installing further drainage to restore more long-term resilience to the section of highway. This work should be started in the next two months.
Once the highway embankment was more stable, there would be further work required to repair the unevenness in the sealed surface. Until this resurfacing work could be done, the lower speeds through Shingle Creek would remain.
"The costs of the traffic management are not significant and we are glad to have this repair fitting into our resilience-funded work."
The resurfacing to come will be covered by the usual maintenance budget for the Central Otago highway network.
The slip was named after former farmer in the area Ash McGregor.
The slip occurred on his land and has affected the state highway, which was then named Ash McGregor’s many years ago.
Mr McGregor was a former All Black — a surprise selection for the Grand Slam All Blacks in 1978. A No 8, he played for Southland and then switched to Otago and briefly for the blue and golds.
He stayed farming in Roxburgh for a while but left the district for Australia more than 15 years ago.
