Russell Road slip clearance at Helena Bay Hill

We're pleased to confirm that Russell Road is on track to reopen in the week ending 9 October 2026, subject to unforeseen weather delays. The exact day of reopening will be confirmed on Monday 5 October 2026.

The road will reopen to two-way traffic with initial speed restrictions in place for safety. While the site is safe for public use, we ask road users to continue taking extra care when traveling through the area.

Work is now focused on completing the final stages of the project ahead of reopening. Chip sealing is scheduled for early next week and will require time for the surface to settle before it is compacted using a roller. This approach has been chosen instead of relying on traffic movements due to the nature of the site. Once this work is complete, crews will carry out final road sweeping, line marking, installation of new road signs, and placement of safety barriers.

Monitoring systems remain in place at the top of the slip, with real-time alerts designed to detect any ground movement. These systems form part of the wider safety measures being finalised before the road reopens.

Significant progress has been made across the site in recent weeks. Installation of the Euroflo drainage pipe has been completed, with crews using abseiling techniques to safely work on the steep slope.Hydroseeding across the site has also been completed, and vegetation is already establishing well thanks to favourable spring conditions.

Crews have also completed the Euroflo pipe headwall, constructed the rock-lined swale at fill site one, improved subgrade layers and reshaped damaged sections of road in preparation for final pavement and surfacing works.

Aggregate has been imported for pavement construction, and all remaining works are now focused on preparing the road for reopening.

Road signs have been ordered and will be installed over the coming days as part of the final preparations.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• Russell Road will reopen to two-way traffic the week ending 9 October 2026, with a date to be announced on Monday 5 October.
• The road will reopen with speed restrictions, although drivers should take extra care.
• Final works are now underway, including chip sealing, road sweeping, line marking, installation of new road signs, and placement of safety barriers.
• Real-time monitoring systems at the top of the slip will detect ground movement
• Completed installation of the Euroflo drainage system, hydroseeding of the slope, road reconstruction works, drainage improvements, and pavement preparation, with all remaining efforts focused on reopening the road.
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 1816 vehicles in the week ending 24 September 2026, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm

Specialist engineers abseiling the slip slope to install the Euroflo drainage pipe on the Russell Road slip.

We have good news to share this week. For the first time, we can see a clear path to reopening Russell Road in October 2026, provided the weather cooperates and there are no further ground stability issues.

This is the news we've all been waiting to hear, and we know the local community will welcome an earlier projected reopening date.

The reopening will come with a few caveats however: The road will still be subject to trigger and response plans relating to the unstable ground at the top of the slip site and, if the site receives heavy rainfall, we may need to close it for safety reasons. We may return in the future to remove the last of the earth from the top of the slip site once the ground has dried and settled, noting it is not expected to result in future road closures. However, even with these caveats, it's positive news.

All Moxy trucks have now left the site, and we have removed the road barriers between the fill site and slip site during two night-work sessions on 17 and 18 September 2026. Special thanks again to the residents on Russell Road for their cooperation and patience while we completed this work.

This week, we've completed the final drainage works at the slip site, including installing large manholes ahead of the Euroflo pipe installation, which is now underway. The Euroflo pipe is 400mm in internal diameter and will enable water to flow from the upper slip area down to the culvert under the road.

We have also completed the final tidy up of the forestry track and associated swales, and we've completed road-level drainage works, as well as the slip-side subsoil drainage. We've completed the hydroseeding on the small haul road slip and at fill site 1A and partially completed the hydroseeding on the main slip upper area.

Road surface rehabilitation is now underway, with our road pavement crew establishing onsite on Monday 21 September 2026. The work will include improving the subgrade layers and reshaping damaged sections of road before the basecourse and surfacing are completed in the coming weeks.

We will continue to base progress on key milestones and will update our progress weekly.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• Russell Road is on track to reopen in October 2026, if weather conditions remain favourable and we encounter no further ground stability issues.
• Moxy trucks have all left the work site.
• Road barriers between the fill site and slip site have been removed.
• We have installed large manholes in preparation for the Euroflo pipes.
• Pavement crews are establishing onsite today (Monday 21 September 2026).
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 1,877 vehicles in the week ending 17 September 2026, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm.

Aerial view of the Russell Road slip taken 15 September 2026, showing some of the drainage being constructed at road level.

The weather for this week is looking good, and the slip site is no longer at red alert level because the movement at the top of the slip site has plateaued.

This week, we are shifting our focus to works at the road level, and we will be hydroseeding along the upper slip site and fill site areas. The root mat of this grass and native mix will help to stabilise the embankments of the slip and fill sites.

We have now installed a total of 11 permanent horizontal subsoil drains at the top of the slip site. We've had a few drain holes collapse and some have also hit rock, which has impacted drilling success. However, the established drains are doing an excellent job of removing excess subsurface water.

The final Moxy truck will be demobilised (moved offsite) this week, along with the two specialty excavators. We'll continue road-level works with the remaining machinery.

The road-level works will include the establishment of drainage at road level to prepare for the surface rehabilitation, which is required before we can reopen the road.

We expect these works to take a few weeks, depending on the condition of the road surface (which will become apparent as it is uncovered).

We will also be extending the drainage system from the under-road culvert to service the new drain from the slip site and installing subsoil drains at the base of the slip. These works could take several weeks depending on the level of road rehabilitation required.

As mentioned last week, we will continue to base progress on key milestones, and we will continue to update on our progress weekly.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• We have completed the installation of the horizontal drains.
• The slip site has now moved out of alert level, as the movement at the top of the slip site has plateaued.
• The engineer’s report on the condition of the haul route between the fill sites and slip site is expected this week. This will determine what surface repairs are needed.
• We will be removing the final Moxy truck during the week and will then begin operating with standard machinery.
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 2,311 vehicles in the week ending 10 September, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm.
• Pigs Head Road is currently being rehabilitated, and Kaiikanui Road will receive similar rehabilitation once Russell Road has reopened.

View of the slip site showing the road surface from above.

Although the weather has been reasonably clear this week, the slip site remains at red alert because movement is continuing at the top of the slip. This has limited our progress, but we have been able to continue drainage work as planned.

To help stabilise the unstable material, we are installing permanent horizontal subsoil drains at the top of the slip site. Five have been installed so far, with around 15 more to be added.

The first drains quickly produced a strong flow of water. On Thursday 3 September, we measured the flow at 5,000 litres per hour. This shows the drains are working well, drying the ground and helping reduce the risk of further slipping.

We look forward to making more progress once movement at the slip site stops and we move out of red alert.

Following the adjusted approach outlined last week, we are reviewing whether the road opening date can be brought forward. This will be based on progress against key milestones rather than the volume of material moved, and we will continue to update on our progress weekly.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• We will continue installing horizontal drains to help reduce slip risk. Around 20 drains are planned in total.
• The slip site has remained at red alert all week due to ongoing movement, which continues to limit progress.
• Monitoring shows movement has plateaued since the drains were installed.
• About 600 tonnes of rock have been moved to Hūkerenui and Drake Road for Whangarei District Council roading projects.
• A small slip on the northern side of the Russell Road slip site has been cleared.
• Engineers have assessed the condition of the haul route between the fill site and slip site to confirm what road surface repairs are needed.
• We are now operating with one Moxy truck.
• Kaiikanui Road was damaged during recent rain, but is holding up. It was graded where needed over the weekend.
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 2,056 vehicles in the week ending 3 September, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm.
• Pigs Head Road is currently being rehabilitated, and Kaiikanui Road will receive similar rehabilitation once Russell Road has reopened.

Photo taken on Thursday 3 September 2026 from road level, showing progress in clearing the roadway.

Photo showing installation of subsoil horizontal drainage at top of slip site, with water flow at 5,000L per hour.

Local businesses and residents made it clear at the community drop-in session that reopening Russell Road for Labour Weekend is important. In response, we will temporarily open Russell Road under traffic management for Labour Weekend, from midday on Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October 2026, provided there are no unexpected weather or geotechnical issues.

As mentioned in our last update, our crews discovered movement at the top of the slip, which required geotechnical investigations before continuing work at the top of the slip site. The reports confirmed that the majority of top of the slip is too unstable to allow further earthworks at this stage.

Now, due to another weekend of wild weather, we will need to assess conditions again before continuing drainage work at the top of the slip site. This means we've needed to adjust our approach.

Our focus now is on installing rock-lined swales and subsoil drainage at the top of the slip and installing permanent monitoring equipment so we can work safely at the road level.

We will be constructing debris barriers along the base of the slip site, before moving ahead with road pavement repair and road drainage installation, including the repair of the main, large culvert under the section of road that was covered by the slip.

We will be operating with fewer Moxy trucks in the coming weeks, and soon we won't need to use the Moxy trucks anymore, as the bulk of the earthworks is complete. This means the safety barriers on Russell Road between the slip site and fill sites will soon be removed, and the road surface will be repaired.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• We will open Russell Road for Labour Weekend, from midday on Friday 23 October to Monday 26 October 2026, under traffic management.
• We’ve adjusted our approach to focus on road clearing, leaving the remaining slip material at the top of the site under surveillance.
• On Wednesday, the crew uncovered the original culvert across the road at the slip site, which was a milestone for the team.
• The lower slip face has been hydroseeded.
• Close to 100 loads of rock were delivered to Waimarie Ave in Ōakura during the week ending 27 August.
• Due to the heavy rain over 29 and 30 August, today (Monday 31 August) Kaiikanui Road is being inspected for any major damages or issues
• The detour crew were called off site on Saturday 29 August as Kaiikanui Road became increasingly close to flooding. They were reinstated on site for Sunday 30 August.
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 2,205 vehicles in the week ending 27 August, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm
• Mōkau Quarry will continue to be a holding site for rocks, as well as Waimarie Ave in Ōakura. Please be aware of large trucks moving on the northern side of the Russell Road slip.

Photos taken 27 August 2026, showing latest progress on Russell Road slip.

Although it was good to see the weather settle for the week, the impacts from the previous week's turbulent weather have been ongoing. We were under alert levels for excessive rainfall, which means we had limited access to the slip site and only managed to restart hauling from Thursday 20 August 2026.

We also detected some movement at the top of the slip, and geotechnical engineers have been investigating onsite. We’ll continue to manage the work safely in this way.

Our contractors were busy over the weekend of 15 and 16 August clearing some smaller slips along Russell Road and, as always, we thank our local community for their fast reporting of these slips and their patience while they were cleared.

While access to the slip site was limited, we continued working at the fill site in preparation to receive the remaining slip material.

We are now working from a clear road surface, which means good progress is being made at ground level. Some work is still needed higher up the slip before crews can safely continue working on the road surface.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• A total of 564 cubic metres of material was removed from the slip site in the week ending 20 August 2026 (measuring from Friday to Thursday each week).
• This means a total of 84,302 cubic metres has been removed to date.
• This leaves an estimated 8,442 cubic metres to clear.
• Kaiikanui Road pilot vehicles escorted a total of 1,682 vehicles in the week ending 20 August 2026, with pilots running 6:30am to 6:30pm.
• Kaiikanui Road was graded over the week ending 20 August 2026 and potholes were filled.
• Pavement works on Pigs Head Road are scheduled to start in the week of 24 August 2026, with some disruption expected over the following few weeks.
• Mōkau Quarry will continue to be a holding site for rocks, as well as Waimarie Ave in Ōakura, so please be aware of large trucks moving on the northern side of the Russell Road slip.

The road surface can now be seen at the foot of the slip. This photo was taken on Friday 21 August 2026.

The sun rises over the slip site, taken after the heavy rains (as you can tell from the wet tracks).

The 'shear key' at the fill site is a trench filled with solid material, making a large anchor to stop earth from sliding down the slope.

The past week has had more challenges in relation to rainfall. Heavy rain throughout the week and over the weekend caused a few small slips and some flooding, which have been managed by contractors onsite - our thanks to the local community for reporting these immediately.

Along with the rain, heavy fog also impacted progress on Thursday 13 August 2026, with Moxy drivers struggling with poor visibility, even at midday. All of this has made for a lower-than-average productivity week onsite.

The project team held a neighbours drop-in session at Helena Bay Café on Wednesday 12 August 2026, which was well attended despite the cold and rainy day.

Our thanks go out to the locals on Russell Road for their ongoing cooperation and understanding during these works.

The weather forecast for this week is more promising, which should allow us to make up for lost time if the forecast holds.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• A weekly total of 2,664 cubic metres of material has been removed from the slip site in the week ending 13 August 2026 (measuring from Friday to Thursday each week).
• This means a total of 83,738 cubic metres has been removed to date.
• This leaves an estimated 9,006 cubic metres to clear before we can begin working on the road surface.
• The northern fill site is continuing to progress.
• Kaiikanui Road experienced flooding after heavy rain over the weekend of 15 and 16 August 2026, and we thank locals and traffic management crews for their work in keeping everyone safe and clearing the road as soon as possible.
• Mōkau Quarry will continue to be a holding site for rocks, as well as Waimarie Ave in Ōakura, so please be aware of large trucks moving on the northern side of the Russell Road slip. Traffic warning signs will be installed on the northern end of the slip to increase awareness of trucks on the road.

This photo was taken in the early hours of Thursday 13 August 2026, and shows the small slip between the tip site and the fill site on Russell Road. The slip was cleared before work began for the day.

Rain and fog slowed down progress in the past week, as shown in this image, taken from the onsite camera on Thursday 13 August 2026.

The past week has again been mostly clear weather-wise aside from a few intermittent showers and frosty starts. This has allowed for another week of solid progress.

The unexpected loose slip material has now been completely cleared, and the northern fill site is at the final stage, with preliminary designs completed.

We had moderate rainfall onsite over Sunday 9 August 2026, triggering the need for an onsite geotech assessment on Monday 10 August. We're watching the weather this week and it's looking wet on Wednesday, which may impact our work programme.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• A weekly total of 6,750 cubic metres of material has been removed from the slip site in the week ending 6 August 2026 (measuring from Friday to Thursday each week). This is the second highest weekly volume moved to date!
• This means a total of 81,074 cubic metres has been removed to date.
• This leaves an estimated 11,670 cubic metres to clear before we can begin working on the road surface.
• Geotech engineers assessed the slip site on Monday 10 August 2026 to ensure safety after rainfall on Sunday 9 August 2026.
• Kaiikanui Road was graded over the weekend of 1 and 2 August 2026 and will continue to be monitored.
• Rocks from the slip are being delivered to a site on Waimarie Avenue to be used to strengthen the Ōakura urupa access.
• Mōkau Quarry is still being used as a temporary fill site. Please be aware of large trucks moving on the northern side of the Russell Road slip. Traffic warning signs will be installed on the northern end of the slip to increase awareness of trucks on the road.
• A public drop-in session was held at Ōakura Hall on Sunday 9 August 2026, with all project managers and contract leads. We thank the community for turning up despite the weather!

This photo was taken on Sunday 9 August 2026, during the drop-in session at Ōakura Hall. A massive thanks to the local community for coming out in such numbers to speak with our project leads.

Drone photo of slip site taken 8 August 2026.

The past week has been mostly clear weather-wise, allowing work to continue with good progress made.

Contractors have managed to clear most of the new loose slip material, and progress is being made with formalising use of a northern fill site.

Slip material is being temporarily dumped at Mōkau Quarry while we wait for the official northern slip site to open - this material will be removed in due course.

Here are the key points of interest from the past week:

• A weekly total of 5,172 cubic metres of material has been removed from the slip site in the week ending 31 July 2026.
• This means a total of 74,324 cubic metres has been removed to date.
• This leaves an estimated 18,420 cubic metres to clear before we can begin working on the road surface.
• Kaiikanui Road was graded over the weekend (1 and 2 August) and will continue to be monitored.
• Over the next couple of weeks, the Ōakura urupa will be receiving several rocks from the slip to use in repairing their site.
• Mōkau Quarry is being used as a temporary fill site. Please be aware of large trucks moving on the northern side of the Russell Road slip.
• A public drop-in session will be held at Ōakura Hall on Sunday 9 August, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. You can arrive at any time. All project managers and contract leads will be available to answer questions.

Photo taken on Tuesday 28 July 2026, showing progress along the slip face where the seam of unstable, moving slip material was discovered. That darker-colour unstable material can be seen in the image below, with the lighter colour being the more compacted, stable surface.

Phase two begins: Russell Road stays closed to prioritise slip clearance

The slip on Russell Road at Helena Bay Hill has come to the end of phase one - removing about 70% of the slipped material and being in a position to assess our options from the road-level.

Phase two is to fully reopen Russell Road in both directions. In order to get this done as fast as possible, heavy machinery will continue operating through winter. Russell Road needs to remain closed to allow for this, and local traffic will continue to use the Kaiikanui Road detour.

"We're focused on getting this road fully reopened as quickly as possible," says Hikurangi-Coastal ward Councillor Stephen Martin.

"There's a whole lot of mountain we're moving here, and we know that people want their road back. That's why the best way to have everything open before Christmas is to keep the slip clearance work moving without interruption.

We've been reassessing the design of the slip site as we go to make sure we're getting the best outcome. Most importantly, we need to reopen this route as soon as we safely can."