Slip repairs begin on Franklin Street, Ōpua, ferry lane

Motorists and residents in Ōpua are being warned to prepare for some disruption while work to repair a slip along Franklin Street gets underway this week.

Far North District Council contractors are prioritising repairs to the slip near the ferry entrance ahead of the busy summer season when visitor numbers are expected to increase significantly in the Bay of Islands.

Drainage and piling works start on Wednesday 19 November to reduce the risk of further land movement and to provide safe access for the ferry and other traffic over the holiday period. This stage of repairs will continue until Friday 19 December when the project will pause for the summer to provide unrestricted access for holiday traffic. The work will resume in March 2026.

Temporary traffic management, including stop/go controls, will be in place while the work is ongoing and drivers and pedestrians should take extra care while navigating the work site.

During the holiday period, Franklin Street will be open to traffic in both directions. The slip lane for ferry traffic and a temporary footpath will be open with no restrictions.

The work is being carried out by FNDC contractors and funded through NZTA Waka Kotahi.

The Franklin Street slip resulted from a number of severe weather events in 2023 and is one of more than 90 sites in the district that have needed work. Due to the high number of slips, repairs have been prioritised based on severity and complexity. As a result, some repairs have been prioritised where they have required urgent attention while others have been deferred and monitored for further changes.