For the first time in more than a year, cars and trucks will finally be back travelling on State Highway One, north of Kaikōura.
SH1 will be reopened to the public some time on Friday afternoon, after a year of repairs that followed the 7.8 earthquake in November 2016.
Road crews worked against the clock to get the quake-damaged road back in shape in time for Christmas traffic. A 144m bridge was constructed in just 14 weeks, making it the fastest build of a seven-span bridge in New Zealand history.
Kaikōura's economy relies heavily on tourists, who come in to the coastal town via SH1.
The highway's reopening is a signal that just a year on from the earthquake, Kaikōura is open for business again.
Newshub.
