Gorge update

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

Below is the latest update on the gorge.

Current situation

Ongoing safety concerns mean that machine clearing work has been halted since the 17 October slip. The instability of the hillside and on-going slips are the key challenges to overcome. Risks around allowing work crews to operate below the slip face and clear the road have been deemed too high to continue. Safety must be our first priority, and the manned operation has been removed from the site. This decision was informed by 3 independent geological specialists.

The hillside where the slip has occurred is part of a prehistoric landslip, thought to have formed thousands of years ago during the formation of the gorge.

Based on the nature of the present slip face and the development of the landslide to date, we expect further slips to occur, especially during heavy rainfall or strong earthquake shaking. Some of these may still be significant.

Next steps

To re-open the road, we have to stablise the hillside, then clear the slip material from the road, check the bridge structures and carry out remedial work.

Stabilising the hillside is the key challenge and the project team are currently looking at options to achieve this. Each option has its own risks in regards to safety, effectiveness and time and these need to be carefully assessed. A project team meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 4 November to review and refine all options and to determine which option is most practical, the safest to execute, and will minimise the length of the on-going closure.

We are confident that we will be in a position to communicate our final plan of action within the next 2 to 3 weeks. I will continue to update you with as much detail as possible until that time.