Spectacular Subsidence In Wharerata Highway

A spectacular subsidence caused 15 chains of the newly-reconstructed Umuhaka section of the Wharerata highway, about 25 miles from Gisborne near the Wharekakaha turnoff, to drop 40ft following the recent heavy rain.

The road was closed for four days before Ministry of Works bulldozers managed to cut a one-way light-traffic track around the gaping hole. It was expected to take several weeks to restore the road to its original form.

In the picture above, a bulldozer is pictured cutting a track around the top of the subsidence, with the broken surfaces of the new and old roads directly below.

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