Russell Road slip clearance at Helena Bay Hill

  • Project typeRoading / transport
  • Project valueTo be confirmed
  • Project schedulePhase 1: June 2026. Phase 2 unknown.
  • Contractor nameFulton Hogan and subcontractors
Aerial photo showing a very large land-slip on Russell Road.

This project is to clear a major slip that has closed Russell Road at the Helena Bay Hill.  

While the road is closed, eastern-coastal parts of Whangārei District between Helena Bay and the Whangaruru Peninsula should instead be accessed via the fully sealed northern route, including the vehicle ferry at Opua.

The work to clear Russell Road needs to be completed in two phases:

  • Phase 1: Clear the slip. Based on an estimate of 110,000 cubic metres of material to be removed, Council and contractors believe this phase will be finished in June 2026, assuming clear access and fair weather. 
  • Phase 2: Reinstate the road. After slip material is removed, the road itself will become a worksite. The time required to reinstate and reopen the road cannot be known until slip material has been cleared.
  • Ongoing: Closely monitor the slip and other historical slip sites for movement and warning signs of further danger.

This slip is considered very large – at over 100,000 cubic metres of dirt, rocks and trees. It is more than 15,000 truck loads.

Photo credit: Ngatiwai Trust Board.

Alternative access routes

While Russell Road is closed, eastern-coastal parts of Whangarei District between Helena Bay and the Whangaruru Peninsula should instead be accessed via the fully-sealed Nothern route, including the vehicle-ferry at Opua. This route is shown in green below.

Kaiikanui Road alternative access (locals and essential traffic)

This route is shown in orange on the map.

  • Please only use this route if you are a resident or making essential travel – otherwise, please use the fully sealed northern route shown in green.
  • Keep left – even on narrow sections there may be traffic coming the other way. 
  • Expect queues at some times. 
  • Pilot vehicles are running between 7:00am and 6:00pm. The road is open overnight and extreme caution is advised. 
  • Expect narrow, gravel, slip‑affected; unsuitable for caravans, boats or heavy vehicles. 
  • Preferred public route: SH1 to Opua Ferry, then Russell Whakapara Road. This road is fully sealed and suitable for any kind of traffic. 
Civil Defence map showing alternate routes north of Whangārei. Green marks the preferred Ōpua – Russell ferry route. Yellow marks Karetu / Waikare Road. Orange marks Kaiikanui Road (light‑vehicle priority). Russell Road is red and closed.

Download a high-quality PDF version of this map(PDF, 726KB)

Location

1697 Russell Road to 1703 Russell Road, Helena Bay 0184  View Map

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