Roading experts hope a state-of-the-art barrier system will prevent any future deaths at a massive slip on the South Island's West Coast.
The slip between Haast and Makarora has been causing headaches for years and experts expect it will continue to do so for many more.
The Diana Falls slip is a monster, and stopping it is a task for Superman. But the New Zealand Transport Agency's Pete Connors is doing his best.
"This place is known for big slips, but it's probably 30 years since we've had one of this size, and it's been pretty significant in trying to deal with it," says Mr Connors.
The fear is a repeat of what happened almost a year ago, with two Canadian tourists swept off the road to their death.
Since then, contractors have been posted on watch, opening the road when it's safe to let vehicles pass through, one at a time.
"Every time it rains we get rockfall events," says project manager Matt Avery. "We've got guys sitting just above the helicopter. You can see up there we've got someone sitting on that site every day, all day, watching for rockfall, and they've got direct communication with the road."
But now the experts have come up with a longer-term solution.
Mr Avery and his team are installing mesh nets, which can withstand a 16-tonne boulder arriving at 90km/h.
"They're designed to slow boulders down rather than stop them. So a boulder will come down, impact the mesh, the mesh will bend out, the boulder will drop to the ground and roll out the bottom to the road."
The nets will slow the rocks enough to stop them short of the roadway, and the very biggest will be blasted to bits before they can even drop.
Since the large slip came down almost a year ago, the road closures have cause major headaches for business owners and residents on either side. Getting the major tourist route open again is vital for the local economy.
"This is a tourist lifeline," says Mr Connors.
And with luck, the lifeline's safety nets will be in place by the end of the month.
3 News
source: newshub archive
