A central route between Bay of Plenty and Waikato used by trucks hauling goods around the region is likely to be "closed for much of the day" after a chemical spill.
At around 6:15am on Tuesday morning, police responded to an incident on State Highway 29 at the Kaimai Ranges where containers had fallen off a truck roughly 500m south of the summit, blocking the westbound lane.
According to the Waikato Regional Council, the truck rolled between Rapurapu Kauri Track and the Kaimai Mamaku Lookout. It was carrying containers filled with sodium hydroxide, with about 3000 litres spilling from the truck.
While authorities clean the chemical from the road and clear the containers, State Highway 29 is closed in both directions and will likely remain that way "for much of the day", Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says.
"Motorists are encouraged to delay their travel where possible.
"Detours are State Highway 36 and State Highway 5 via Rotorua or State Highway 27, State Highway 26 and State Highway 2 through the Karangahake Gorge and on to Tauranga. These detours will add considerable time to journeys and are not suitable for High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV)."
The Waikato Regional Council says the chemical may have entered a nearby stream.
"The council’s incident response team is attending the scene to assess the environmental impact of the incident," a statement says.
"In the meantime, staff have contacted the nearest five water take consent holders on the expected path of this spill to advise them. However, there may be others taking water on the Mahina-A-Rangi Stream down to the Waiomou Stream.
"Until more is known about the extent of the spill, water users are urged to exercise caution."
