Russell Road slip clearance at Helena Bay Hill

  • Project typeRoading / transport
  • Project valueTo be confirmed
  • Project schedulePhase 1: July 2026. Phase 2 unknown.
  • Contractor nameFulton Hogan and subcontractors
Aerial progress-photo of the slip at Helena Bay Hill from April 2026. The image shows heavy machinery clearing hundreds of large rocks and dark red soil.

Latest updates

Winter has arrived at the site of the Helena Bay slip with wet ground and slippery conditions hampering the speed of progress in early June. 

Despite the short days and inclement weather, teams are working their heavy machinery for up to 6 days per week, with a goal of opening one lane of Russell Road as soon as possible. Since establishing the site in February the efforts have resulted in over 45,000 cubic metres of compacted soil being removed, and a further 9,500 cubic metres of rock which is generally being kept separately. The enormous volume of material represents over 3000 full “Moxy” truck loads being taken off-site – work trucks that are too large to drive on a normal road. 

Large boulders are being broken down for transport in the Moxy trucks and are mostly being kept by the Council for engineering works, cutting down on the amount of rocks that would otherwise need to be bought with public funding for future projects. When it is safe for machinery to access the rocks at the north end of the slip site, some rocks will also be delivered in the Ōakura area for affected locals to make use of, and for other proposed Council projects. 

Use of a single lane on Russell Road would be controlled by traffic lights and may involve delays while machinery is in operation. With that in mind the Council expects to be in a position to open a single, part-time, traffic-controlled lane in late July 2026, however the timing will be dependent on weather and unforeseen circumstances. 

This time-lapse video shows progress at the slip site between 28 May and 11 June 2026. 

Overview

The work to clear Russell Road is being completed in two phases: 

Phase 1 – Clear the slip from the road. Based on an estimate of 110,000 cubic metres of material to be removed, Council and contractors believe this phase will be finished at the end of July 2026. About 20 days have been lost to unworkable weather so far, which has pushed the original timing estimate back from June 2026. 
Phase 2 – Reinstate the road. When enough slip material is removed, the road itself can become a worksite. The time required to reinstate and fully 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.  

Access to eastern-coastal areas

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.

Anyone travelling to the east coast of the Whangārei District (between Helena Bay and the Whangaruru Peninsula) must use an alternative route.  

The recommended route is:

  • Travel north on State Highway 1 to Opua.
  • Take the vehicle ferry to Okiato.
  • Continue via Russell – Whakapara Road.

This route is fully sealed and suitable for all vehicle types.

Russell Road closure at Helena Bay Hill

Locals and anyone performing priority travel (for example, contractors making repairs) may use Kaiikanui Road via Pigs Head Road and Webb Road.

Delays should be expected and travellers are advised to allow extra time.

Kaiikanui Road limited access

Location

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

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