infonews.co.nz
INDEX
WEATHER

Police And Council Advising Extreme Care

Monday 25 July 2011, 2:26PM

By Queenstown Lakes District Council

318 views

QUEENSTOWN

Unless people have chains fitted on their vehicles they should stay off the roads in the Wakatipu Basin this morning, Queenstown Lakes District Council transport manager Denis Mander and Queenstown acting officer in charge Sergeant Brian Cameron said.

“It’s a real bonus for the ski season and we recognise that ski areas are open and there will be ski traffic but all vehicles must have chains fitted,” Mr Mander said.

If people did not need to go anywhere, then police were advising they should stay put.

“We have had a number of accidents reported and there will likely be more to come. Most accidents can be put down to poor decision making,” Sergeant Cameron said.

Mr Mander said Council contractors had deployed all plant to keep arterials open but roads were treacherous right around the Wakatipu Basin.

“Roads have been cleared and gritted but light dry snow continues to fall and there is ice and snow everywhere,” Mr Mander said.

More than 30cm of snow had fallen in parts of Otago, Fiordland, and Southland, with 5cm to lake level at Queenstown and 25cm to lake level at Kingston.

Meanwhile many sections of highway continue to be closed, including SH1 from Dunedin to Christchurch and Dunedin to Gore; SH6 Queenstown to Kingston and Kingston to Five

Rivers; SH87 Outram to Middlemarch; SH85 Palmerston to Kyeburn; SH93 Clinton to Mataura; and SH94 Te Anau to Milford.

Conditions were forecast to improve this afternoon.