Slumping West Coast road will be shut until at least Friday

Monday, 7 October 2019

The TranzAlpine is regarded by many as one of the world's great train journeys.

A slip near Greymouth will now be closed until at least Friday, much longer than first anticipated.

The active slip between Greymouth and Stillwater at Omoto has been moving since mid August but heavy rain last Thursday forced the closure of a section of State Highway 7, the main road linking Reefton and Greymouth, and the rail line.

KiwiRail has been stopping the TranzAlpine at Arthur's Pass and offering buses for people wanting to continue on to the West Coast.

The railway line has been damaged by a slip causing the TransAlpine train to stop running to Greymouth.

A NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) statement on Monday said the road would remain closed until further notice. The next update is expected at 2pm on Friday

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The slip in on State Highway 7, the road between Reefton and Greymouth.

Slumping over the past 24 hours is highly visible at this site, which has closed SH7 at Omoto east of Greymouth.

A detour route was available on State Highway 7 via the Stillwater bridge, via Taylorville to State Highway 6 and Cobden Bridge.

NZTA first said the slip would close the road for a few days but it moved during the weekend, closing it for longer than anticipated.

The slip has raised concerns about a downturn in business.

Grey District Business Promotions Association chairman Phillip Barnett, who owns Greymouth i-Site, said last week the train brought valuable business to Greymouth.

More people would hop on a bus to the glaciers and bypass town as a result, he said. It was already having an impact, Barnett said