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Mahurangi West Regional Park will reopen in time for Christmas, despite permanent repairs to the damaged Mahurangi West Road still being some way off.
The park is due to reopen on Saturday, December 19, after being closed since January when a serious slip undermined the road – the only public access to the park.
A spokesperson for Mahurangi West residents said there was concern that reopening the park while repairs were still underway would put additional pressure on the road and make access difficult for locals.
“According to Auckland Council, Mahurangi Regional Park received around 100,000 visitors during 2021/22, and seeing the current state of the road, this is a major concern for us,” they said.
Auckland Transport stakeholder manager Johan Swanepoel said investigations and design work for a long-term solution were continuing.
He said the repair was complex and, although work was expected to be well advanced by the summer holidays, traffic would have to be carefully managed.
Access through the affected section would be one-way, controlled by either temporary traffic lights or a stop/go system.
Swanepoel said an average of around 400 vehicles visited the park on a busy day, although AT expected numbers to be lower while the restrictions were in place.
“We are informing all visitors that there will be delays and recommending that they consider visiting another regional park this summer to avoid disruption,” he said.
Regional parks principal ranger north Jason Maguiness said the lengthy closure had allowed AT to undertake work safely and with minimal disruption. He said reopening would restore access to the park’s camping areas, walking tracks and coastal activities.
In February, AT estimated the permanent repair to Mahurangi West Road would cost $2.8 million. However, Auckland Council’s head of road asset maintenance and renewals Alan Wallace said the estimate was based on an initial high-level assessment carried out through a visual inspection only.
Since then, more extensive geotechnical investigations had been completed, revealing more complex issues that would be more costly to address.
