Weather forces closure of Kaikōura road

3:30 pm on 29 December 2016

State Highway One, south of Kaikōura, is open again after it was closed because of poor weather this morning.

Work being done to clear slips blocking State Highway 1.

Slips on SH1 near Kaikōura closed the road following the earthquake. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Authorities closed the road between Hundalee and Kaikoura just before 8am as a precaution, after 15 to 20 millimetres of rain fell over a short period - triggering some minor rockfalls.

Drivers were diverted to the alternative Inland route to Kaikōura, through Waiau and Mt Lyford.

The NZ Transport Agency said the road was safe to use again, but drivers should expect delays with speed limits around work sites and one-lane access in places.

The stretch of State Highway One re-opened earlier this month, after the 14 November magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused major damage to the town and 26 slips on the road.

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