Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency this morning confirmed that light vehicles and campervans would be able to travel through Makarora on State Highway 6 today in two convoys, at midday and 4.30pm.
From tomorrow 8am convoys will be added in, said Nicole Felts, Journey Manager for Otago and Southland for Waka Kotahi.
“The 12pm and 4.30pm convoys are confirmed for vehicles up to five tonnes which includes campervans and light vehicles towing trailers. Traffic management is on site and beginning preparation now,” Felts said.
The news comes as the agency faces criticism for its handling of the blocked highway — regarded by a Haast tourism operator as a "lifeline" for the local community.
Wilderness Lodge co-founder Dr Gerry McSweeney said Waka Kotahi and its contractors seemed more interested in political point-scoring and were too slow reopening the road.
The alpine pass remained closed at Muddy Creek after a slip last Thursday. The kilometre-long slip left up to 20,000 cubic metres of material over the road, bridge and creek bed.
Dr McSweeney said contractors from the West Coast had gone to the site and started work on Saturday morning — two hours before anyone from the Wanaka side of the slip arrived.
Then at 12.35pm the West Coast contractors were told to stand down.
They were told the work would be carried out by Otago operators and they were not needed.
"The Haast community is aghast.
"It is our lifeline, the start of the school holidays and the beginning of the summer season, and it is going to be blocked for a week," he said.
"Work should be done at both ends. That way it could be done a lot quicker.
"I just do not understand it."
Felts today said crews would continue work around the convoy times to clear material and stabilise the road getting it ready for two lanes and unescorted access.
“Further engineering assessment this afternoon will help us decide if we widen our criteria to heavier vehicles from Wednesday onwards. We will aim to confirm that as soon as we know.”
The convoy times for the rest of the week are 8am, midday and 4.30pm each day – with the Lake Hawea/Makarora convoy departing first and once through, the western side Blue Pools group will move.
“We do not underestimate how vital this highway link is for everyone – both Otago and Westland/ the West Coast,” Felts said
Southland and Otago system manager Robert Choveaux said a large amount of material needed to be cleared from the site, but he was optimistic controlled access would be feasible.
"Conditions ... remain dynamic, challenging and subject to change — any amount of rainfall could affect access," he said.
Subject to final confirmation about road access at 9am today, two light-vehicle convoys would run at noon and 4.30pm, first from the Wanaka side of the slip, then back.
Travel from Wednesday until the end of the week would be daily by escort under the same conditions, with trips planned for 8am, noon and 4.30pm.
Before yesterday’s announcement, travellers and locals alike showed up at the Makarora township in the hopes of being let through the roadblock just north of town.
A small group of whitebaiters from Haast arrived yesterday morning hoping the agency would arrange an escort along the route that afternoon.
"[It’s] not so bad for us because we’re staying at Lake Hāwea and we can do other things, but I feel sorry for other people," Mrs Hawke said.
A staff member at the Wonderland Makarora Lodge said although their cafe was closed yesterday, they would consider reopening over the remainder of the week based on the amount of passing traffic.
