State of emergency powers have led to the restriction of an alternative route into Northland in what local business leaders are calling a "roading emergency".
Truck and trailer units have been banned from using the Mangawhai detour, while State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns remains closed indefinitely after being damaged by large slips.
Waka Kotahi revealed for the first time the enormity of the challenge ahead.
"It's really hard to be able to give that information," the transport agency's Jacqui Hori-Hoult told 1News.
She said while there are "a lot of rumours around", it'll be difficult to draw up a plan to fix it without first getting "our structural people in and our geo techs in" to assess the damage.
Northland Chamber of Commerce president Tim Robinson called the current situation a "roading emergency up here".
"It's not just a crisis."
The highway has been closed more than it's been open this summer. Northland was cut off, first by the storm on Auckland Anniversary weekend, then by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Alternative routes aren't up to scratch either, with the Waipu to Mangawhai route now only open to light vehicles.
"But we really do want people to plan their journeys and make sure it's for essential travel. The roads are still vulnerable across Northland," Hori-Hoult said.
Transport business owner Simon Reid said alternative routes across the region "are falling apart".
"The Oakleigh-Paparoa, the Mangawhai road — they’re all just disintegrating underneath us.
"When people can't travel from Auckland to Whangārei, they go 'so what?' but when you can't get food stuffs through and building materials and things to repair damage it becomes life-threatening and critical."
It's feared the roading network is also deterring visitors.
"The confidence that gives people to want to come up here is just down to zero," Robinson said.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullos called for a four-lane expressway to be built in Northland.
"If we want Northland to continue to grow and if we want to put the investment into Northland, that is what we need."
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