Te Puna residents and motorists are expressing grave concern about road safety on Te Puna Station Road following a slip that has come down onto the road during the weekend's rain.

One SunLive reader says it's a continual public safety issue.

'It's slipping all the time onto that road. And the river is right there,” says a SunLive reader.

The section of road where the slips usually occur runs alongside the Wairoa River.

The slip on Te Puna Station Road. Photo: Supplied.

On Saturday Te Puna Station Road was designated as the main detour route for traffic moving between Tauranga and Katikati due to tree felling at Te Puna on State Highway 2.

Locals say it was back-to-back traffic on Saturday, and they're expecting similar today as motorist drive slowly around the slip.

'It's a massive screw-up. Yesterday it was horrendous for residents trying to turn right into Te Puna West, because the traffic was being diverted from Snodgrass Road and into Te Puna Station Road. As a resident you're trying to turn right and it was really difficult to turn right to go down into Te Puna to get home,” says a resident.

'The bank is always slipping, There's so many times it's slipped and all they do is clear it up.

'Then with the next heavy rain it does it again.”

One resident feels that "the more traffic going through, the more vibrations, and the more people are likely to be put in danger".

'The bank keeps coming down. They keep patching it up and then it rains again.”

The slip on Te Puna Station Road. Photo: Supplied.

Locals are concerned at negotiating the road and avoiding the bank.

'It's a very narrow piece of road right next to the river. Every time I drive there I feel quite concerned and wonder is it going to come down on top of me.

'You feel like you're dodging a bullet every time you drive that way.”

Victoria Angus-Tarawa also says that slips along Te Puna Station Road seem to be happening "every time it rains lately".

'They really need to solve the problem rather than a band aid every time. It's very dangerous,” says Victoria.

SunLive has approached Western Bay of Plenty District Council for a comment on the slip and the road.