Tutaekara Road, east of Pahiatua, will be closed until December 27 due to a washout. The road, that connects with the Pahiatua Track, was washed out during heavy rains when water from a river eroded the soil behind a bridge abutment, causing an 8m-wide hole in the road. A motorist discovered the washout when their vehicle almost fell into the hole. The driver left the scene to get help and returned to find the car had fallen into the washout.