The Port Taranaki boat ramp is open to the public again following last Friday’s storm surges.

Port Taranaki infrastructure and projects programme manager Mark Webb said repair teams had worked hard to get the boat ramp open as quickly as possible.

“We appreciated the public’s patience as we worked to get the storm damage fixed. We knew there were boating competitions planned for New Plymouth this weekend and wanted to ensure the boat ramp was useable in time for them to go ahead,” Mr Webb said.

While the boat ramp and accessway are clear and able to be used, some work is still to be completed in the boat vehicle turning bay and parking area. Unuseable areas will be cordoned off with barriers.

“Part of the turning area still needs to be repaired. While useable, turning will be temporarily tighter than prior to the storm event, and we ask that people show patience towards other users.”

The floating pontoon that suffered sea damage during the storm would need to eventually be rebuilt, Mr Webb said. Port Taranaki and its contractors had made the pontoon safe to use in the meantime. However, during the next few weeks the area around the boat ramp would need to be closed for short periods to allow for more repair work to be completed.

“We will do our best to ensure these disruptions do not happen during busy boating periods, particularly at weekends,” Mr Webb said.