Connecting Tairāwhiti

Project update

12 May 2023

Tēnā koe,

The link between Tairāwhiti and the wider Hawke's Bay will be restored this week, with the reopening of State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier. We are grateful to our crews on the ground who know how important this connection is to communities, whānau and businesses and have worked tirelessly to make the road safe to travel again.

Work is underway on Te Tairāwhiti Wairoa Resilience Strategic Response, which aims to identify and prioritise plans and next steps for state highways in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa. It is a 12-week project which will further support the immediate emergency works that have already taken place in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa, and identify options for recovery works in the short, medium and long-term. It will also identify ranges of funding required for each of these programmes and next steps. All programmes will be subject to securing required funding.

This work will form a strategic view of the current and future desired state of transport networks in the East Coast drawing from, and building on, existing strategic work already done in the region, including the Tairāwhiti Roading Package, and applying a stronger resilience lens. This resilience lens will consider what performance levels we need for our networks to function well both now and into the future.

This work includes SH2 (Ōpōtiki to SH2/SH5 intersection), SH35 and SH38. While it is specific to state highway assets and investment, we are working closely with local government and will consider the role of the local road networks where they form detours to the strategic transport network.

The resilience strategic response recovery plan is developing the initial broad programmes of work to progress as soon as feasible. We hope to have the resilience strategic response plan complete by mid-June 2023. 

We will continue to update you on how this work is progressing. Importantly, many of the future works will require further investigation, planning and community engagement including consultation with those who live and work in the affected areas before physical works begin.

Image: The Bailey bridge built at Waikare Gorge

SH2 Wairoa to Napier opening this weekend

Three months on from the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle, State Highway 2 will reopen between Wairoa and Napier on Sunday 14 May at 7am. Between Waikoau Hill to Aropaoanui Road, the road will be open 7am to 6pm while further works need to be completed  to make this route safe for driving at night.

Work to restore access along the cyclone-damaged stretch of highway has progressed faster than anticipated, including the construction of the Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge. Contractors have also been working on many other damaged sites, including at Devil’s Elbow, as well as clearing landslips and debris, and other works to make the road safe.

Regional Manager, Maintenance and Operations Jaclyn Hankin says the progress is testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.

“Restoring this access has been an absolute priority for Waka Kotahi. We know how much reopening this section of road will mean for people and we’re thrilled to be able to get it open earlier than expected.”

Over the past week, teams have been connecting the Bailey bridge to the highway and completing final repairs and paving. The new Bailey bridge will be blessed by Ngāti Pāhauwera and Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust on Saturday before the entire route reopens to the public on Sunday.

Please be aware that the road will look very different to the way it did before the cyclone. Some sections of the highway remain down to one lane, with a 30km/h speed limit and traffic lights or a priority give-way in place. The area around Devil's Elbow is also under a 30km/h speed limit. Please respect the temporary traffic management, drive with care and allow for delays of up to 30 minutes when travelling.

As the road environment remains fragile, especially during wet weather, we may need to close the highway at short notice for extended periods of time.

FAQ: Waikare Gorge Bailey Bridge

What is the bridge made from?
Our Bailey bridges are made from steel and timber components. With a 42-metre main span, the Waikare Bailey bridge has one of the longest Bailey bridge spans ever used in New Zealand.

What does it feel like driving over the bridge?
The bridge is flexible – there’s a noticeable ‘deflection’ or slight bending as you drive over. This is safe, and it is important to respect the 10km/h speed limit in place to limit the liveliness of the bridge.

What kind of vehicles can use the bridge?
Vehicles crossing the Waikare Bailey bridge must fit within these limitations:

• Maxiumum weight: 50MAX (up to 50 tonnes)
• Maximum width: 2.55m wide
• Maxiumum length: 24.7m long

High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMVs) and over-dimensional vehicles are not permitted. We are looking at how to help get these vehicles across the Waikare Gorge while a more permanent solution is constructed.

Image: Work on the temporary Bailey bridge for Hikuwai No. 1 Bridge is underway with a 300-tonne crane currently onsite and piling in progress. The Bailey bridge will support vehicles up to 50 tonnes.

Changes needed for Hikuwai Bailey bridge

Piling for the Hikuwai No. 1 Bailey bridge began last week and based on what we’ve discovered, we are modifying our approach. We have started on the southern abutment and expected to find hard ground at 15 metres deep, but at 22 metres deep we still haven’t found hard ground.

We will extend the piles another 12 metres by welding two piles together to find firm ground. These welded piles need to be inspected before use. At this stage we estimate that this work will add an extra 6-8 working days, moving our likely opening date to 8 June.

Image: Innovative pavement work underway on SH2 at Ormond

Busy winter ahead on SH2 Ormond to Matawai

We are improving the resilience of SH2 between Gisborne and Matawai as part of the Government’s initial $250m fund for cyclone-related emergency repairs and road works.

Crews have made a strong start at SH2 Ormond using an innovative method called foamed bitumen stabilisation, which recycles existing road materials while injecting foamed bitumen into the pavement to create a robust road surface that has a longer life than traditional pavement.

There are nine sites along SH2 Ormond to Matawai and one on SH35 at Tolaga Bay. The first two sites in Ormond have been completed faster than expected with work planned to start at Clarke’s Corner on Monday 15th May.

The road is open with stop/go traffic management with a 30km/h temporary speed restriction at work sites. Allow extra time for your journey and expect delays. Work is expected to be completed by July.

Asphalt resurfacing will follow from June to August along SH2 to Waioeka Gorge and SH2 between Gisborne and Manutuke. This work will be done at night under full road closures. Details will be shared in our next e-newsletter issue and on the Connecting Tairāwhiti website.

Image: Shoulder widening on SH2 at Otoko Hill

Improving safety on Otoko Hill

Crews are on the ground at Otoko Hill on SH2, working to make the road safer by widening approximately 340 metres of the northbound shoulder. This project was started earlier in the year, but the additional shoulder had to be repurposed for lane space after a large slip at the site during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Weather permitting, the team should complete this work mid-May. Traffic management will be in place for the duration of the project, and the site will remain at 50km/h until the dropout across the road is repaired next construction season.

Watch: A new driver licensing partnership is creating opportunities in Tairāwhiti

Opening doors with the Tairāwhiti driver licensing trial

Getting a driver licence opens the door to a world of opportunities – jobs, training, support for whānau, and social connection. But access can be hard for some communities in Aotearoa.

A partnership between Tairāwhiti REAP, Waka Kotahi and McInnes Driver Training is making it easier for more people in Tairāwhiti to get a licence, and benefit from the rewards of it. 

Check out the video to see how the innovative partnership is positively impacting the lives of people in rural Tairāwhiti. It features some of the students who celebrated attaining their licence at a driver licence graduation at Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae in Kaiti, Gisborne.

The Tairāwhiti trial is one of the initiatives being undertaken by the Driver Licensing Improvement Programme (DLIP), a cross-agency programme led by Waka Kotahi.

Did you know getting a driver licence is becoming cheaper?
From October, a raft of changes to fees and charges are being introduced, including a decrease in the average cost for a person to get their licence.

Image: Work underway at Kopuaroa on SH35

Kopuaroa resilience project update

Kopuaroa Hill Improvements Project is part of the SH35 Resilience Programme aimed at strengthening and stabilising Tairāwhiti’s roading network.

Kopuaroa Hill suffered severe damage after Cyclone Hale, though thanks to project works after that, it held well after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Work crews have been on-site since September and are expected to complete the job by late June. Damage that occurred in the area over Easter was repaired by our maintenance contractors.

Crews are about to start construction on the concrete drainage swale at the site, and this will be followed by works to add horizontal drainage holes into the hill.

More robust repairs are planned (as part of this project) for spring when the ground is more stable.

Increased resilience at Mōrere

Our crews have successfully installed a temporary culvert on State Highway 2 at Mōrere, north of Nūhaka. It replaces one damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle and will strengthen the road’s resilience to heavy rain. We thank the communities along SH2, including Wairoa, for their understanding during the two-day closure of this section of the highway.

Keep up to date

It’s a challenging time to travel around Tairāwhiti. Roads are vulnerable to closures at short notice in wet weather, and repair works may cause delays and road closures at times. Please check Journey Planner before your trip and drive to the conditions.

Traffic updates: Tairāwhiti
Facebook: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
Twitter: Waka Kotahi CNI
Journey Planner: Tairāwhiti
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
Highway access maps: Gisborne

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More information

In between newsletters, you can keep up with the latest news on the recovery in Tairāwhiti online at nzta.govt.nz. Find the latest updates on road closures, highway conditions, and progress on recovery all in one place.

For more information on the Connecting Tairāwhiti project, contact us at ConnectingTairawhiti@nzta.govt.nz or visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/ConnectingTairawhiti