Slip blocks road in stormy weekend

Vicki Waterhouse and Lauren Owens | 27th April 2009

A massive slip on a rural road blocked traffic this morning, apparently forcing vehicles, including a school bus, to reverse back up the treacherous incline.

Firefighters responding to a call to remove a log blocking a road instead found the slip on Oropi Gorge Rd, that occurred after a weekend of heavy rain.

It was believed a school bus had made its way down the road early this morning, before coming across the slip and being forced to reverse back up the slippery road.

Council contractor Inroads was called at 6.30am to the slip which was about 400m from Oropi Rd.

Inroads had been working on sealing the 2km road over the past month but the tarseal only reached 50m beyond the start of the road and the slip fell on to gravel.

Tree branches and dirt were piled up to three metres high.

A digger this morning began shovelling dirt into a trailer, while a large tree perched precariously on the cliff edge above.

As workers prepared for a long day of cleaning up, one noticed fresh tyre tracks leading down to the slip.

The road connects Glue Pot and Oropi Roads, with up to 50 vehicles a day passing along it.

School buses use Oropi Gorge Rd to drive children to and from Oropi School daily, saving them a 15km journey.

An InRoads spokesperson said the slip was the only one contractors had been called to after weekend rain.

The MetService said Tauranga had 18mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The heaviest period was last night between 4pm and 6pm when 12mm fell.

The Western Bay of Plenty was harder hit than the Eastern Bay this weekend.