South Auckland storm repairs almost complete

1News

17-06-2025

Road damage repairs from extreme weather events almost two years ago is almost complete in south Auckland.
In 2023, heavy rain on Auckland's Anniversary Day weekend and Cyclone Gabrielle caused severe flooding, and more than 2000 slips were reported to Auckland Transport on local roads, across the region.
In the south, 30 complex slips needed repairing: nine minor (less than $250,000 to repair) and 21 major (more than $250,000 to repair).
In a statement, Auckland Transport (AT) said their flood recovery team has repaired 83% of the slips.
AT road asset maintenance and renewals general manager Alan Wallace said 25 slips have been fixed, and three more will be repaired in the second half of the year.
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These are Ararimu Rd, Cemetery Rd, and East Coast Rd.
'Last month, we completed the repairs to the second slip site on Kemp Road in Āwhitu, and Urquhart Road in Karaka – both substantial slips which closed the road," he said.
Wallace said work involved the installation of a soil nail retaining wall and drainage improvements.
Work to repair two slips on Kemp Rd began in February; the first involved building a timber retaining wall and repairs to the road surface, he said.
The second involved installing a soil nail retaining wall and drainage improvements.
Construction to re-establish the connection on Urquhart Rd began in April 2025, and was completed last month.
He said work included the installation of new drainage across the road and the construction of a mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) wall to mitigate the slip.
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By the end of May 2025, 56% of minor slips, and all but one major slip in the south had been repaired.
Only one major slip, Manukau Heads Rd, is still currently under construction.
Construction teams have continued work on the general fill of the Manukau Heads site, switching to the use of crushed concrete because of the wet ground conditions.
New rock armour on the face of the MSE wall now protects the road from further erosion.
AT said the head of the slip has been trimmed back and was ready to be planted.
"One of the two large stormwater pipes that will protect the road from flooding in the future has been installed."
Since the 2023 weather damage, AT has fixed 1200 small slips across the region, but more than 800 bigger slips have required extensive investigation to inform sustainable and resilient engineering design solutions.
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LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.