Highway trouble spot floods again

A regular flooding trouble spot on State Highway 1 north of Oamaru has again been hit by surface flooding as possible solutions are being investigated.

The area at Hilderthorpe was submerged in water yesterday after a period of rainfall overnight.

It comes three months after the Oamaru township was cut off when the same stretch was flooded during May's heavy rainfall.

New Zealand Transport Agency Coastal Otago area manager Roger Bailey said yesterday's surface flooding lasted from mid-morning through to lunch time.

"The rain has now eased and water is disappearing," he said in the afternoon.

An NZTA consultant had identified ideas that could help minimise flooding in the area, he said.

"We will be meeting in the next few weeks with a working group ... to discuss these options and how they might be implemented."

Elsewhere in the district, Grange Hill Rd at Waihemo in North Otago was closed as a result of surface flooding.

Ferry, Biggs, Corbett and McCulloch Rds also had caution notices in place for drivers. Drivers were advised to follow signage and other directives.

Waitaki District Council roading manager Geoff Young said the flooding was minor: "It's not that bad on the scale of things. We may close one road later," he said yesterday morning.

"We are assessing that at the moment."

Water was across two roads at that stage, he said.

The flooding was "quite local" and contained to the area west of Pukeuri.

"There's quite a lot of water coming down those paddocks and into the gullies."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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