Ruby Bay’s Stafford Drive is set to re-open for January after Tasman District Council has given the go- ahead to clear the slip blocking the road.
The coastal road, linking Māpua and Ruby Bay to Tasman Village, has been blocked for three months since the August 2022 weather event caused the slip.
“With summer almost upon us and the likelihood of more traffic on our region’s roads, extending this time any further is not tenable and we need to make a decision,” says Richard Kirby, TDC’s community infrastructure group manager.
On that basis, Richard has asked for the slip to be cleared away and opened to two lanes within the next four weeks.
A geotechnical report was received by council in mid-October which showed there was potentially a high level of risk associated with re-opening the road due to expected ongoing slips.
But Richard says measures have been prepared in case the long-term risks associated with reopening both lanes are considered too high.
“As part of the decision-making process, we have developed a safety management plan which could enable the road to be reduced one lane if necessary, based on observations as slip clearance work proceeds.”
The announcement is great news for Mamaku Road resident Daphne Tucker who has driven Stafford Drive for 67 years.
“It’s great. I very seriously missed not being able to use that road,” she says. “I go down there frequently because I have family in Māpua.”
Her detour has been along Marriages Rd and Pomona Rd, a longer route which she doesn’t enjoy as much as the scenic coastal road.
“In comparison [to Stafford Drive], look at the views to start with, and the convenience not having to go on that windy old road.”
The narrow detour has also proven popular with other drivers who chose not to travel along State Highway 60/the Coastal Highway.
“It’s only the residents up that road that use it normally,” she says. “But not in the volume that we’re seeing now.”
She added that trucks have used the Marriages-Pomona route as well and she’s had to pull over so they have had room to pass, although that was more common in the early days of the road’s closure.
Daphne says Stafford Drive is crucial for linking the region’s communities.
“It’s the connection of Tasman and Māpua that is important for the locals, and it’s been very much affected,” she says. “We’ll be very grateful for it being restored.”
Council is currently working alongside contractors to confirm a start date for the clearance.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
