The Manawatu Gorge Rd follows the Manawatu River along a deep valley. On one side of the river is the railway line and on the other side is the road. This road is a main highway for people travelling from Highway 2 to Palmerston North. However, in August and then again in October last year, heavy rain caused many landslides (slips) of rock and soil. These slips closed the road and destroyed two bridges. This is the biggest slip that has ever hit a road in New Zealand. 370,000 cubic metres of rock and soil have been removed.
Workers with heavy machines have been trying to make a flat platform at the top before clearing the slip. Then they will spray grass seed and water onto the slip and fix netting for safety. Workers have now started to rebuild the bridges.
Yesterday was an open day for people to see the slip from the western end. About 10,000 people came. They travelled by bus to near the slip. It was also a day for raising money for the Rescue Helicopter.
This road usually carries about 6,800 vehicles a day including 480 trucks. For the last 9 months, while the Manawatu Gorge Rd has been closed, drivers have used an alternative route. This alternative road is longer, narrower, more winding, slower and more dangerous for trucks.
The cost of repairing the road is already about $11m and will probably be nearer $20m by the time it is finished. The road may be open next month for one lane from the eastern end during the day and two lanes at night.
To see what the slip looks like, go to: this site
or watch it on: to YouTube
YouTube also has an older video of driving along the Manawatu Gorge Rd in winter:
to YouTube Driving
Vocabulary
gorge – a river in a deep valley, with high cliffs on each side
heavy rain – opposite of light rain (idiom)
soil – dirt, earth
platform – a flat place. also called a ‘bench’ in the video
alternative – another one
route – path, road
Grammar
‘This is the biggest slip that has ever + p.p.’ Can you make your own example of this structure using a superlative e.g. This is the hardest test I have ever done; this is the most expensive …
Comparatives: slower etc. Try to compare two things e.g. the climate in two countries in a long sentence e.g. wetter, colder, more unpleasant, windier
Present perfect continuous – have been trying… This is used to show it is taking a long, long time. It started in the past and is still continuing.
Present perfect – have used; this is used to show it started in the past and is still continuing.
Present perfect passive – has been closed; again it started in the past and is still continuing. This time the subject (Ministry of Transport? Police?) is not important.