Urgent Transport Recovery Work Continues In The North IslandHon Chris BishopMinister of TransportUrgent work is continuing to restore and strengthen transport links across the North Island following severe storms and flooding that caused widespread damage to state highways and local roads, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Transport infrastructure across the North Island was hit hard by intense rainfall and flooding which caused widespread damage, triggered slips and forced the temporary closure of key state highways,” Mr Bishop says. “In Northland and Waikato, all state highways are now open, with clean-up and traffic management continuing in some areas. “This is one of the most significant closures we’ve seen,” Mr Bishop says. They show that while we cannot prevent storms, we can build a transport system that recovers faster and keeps New Zealanders moving.