Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Earthmoving crews will continue to work over the weekend with the goal of removing rock debris from the Tasman Highway at Paradise Gorge next week.
Work will then start to repair the Highway surface ahead of the planned re-opening to traffic in mid-July.
Good progress has been made in clearing about 2,000 tonnes of rocks and debris brought down from the rock face which posed a safety risk to road users.
Earth-moving crews have cleared the protective gravel cushion from about 70 metres of the highway and are starting to remove the main pile of rocks dislodged from the rockface, as well as the remaining gravel.
In promising news, damage to the section of highway cleared so far appears to be limited to the surface of the road without affecting the road base. However, the full extent of repairs required will not be known until the road has been completely cleared of the heavier rocks, and a full assessment done.
Wielangta Road received a full grading this week and we will continue to monitor Wielangta Road and Lake Leake Road daily and make repairs as required.
Road users are reminded to drive to the conditions and comply with the speed limits for everyone's safety.
If you encounter potential hazards on these roads, please report them to the State Roads 24/7 hotline on 1300 139 933.
