Connecting Hawke's Bay

30 June 2025

Tēnā koe,

In this issue of Connecting Hawke’s Bay, we’re focusing on the progress we’re making on the SH2 Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) project. Read on for the latest.

What we heard from the community

A big thank you to everyone who joined us at the community drop-in session last month at Greenmeadows East Community Hall. We had a fantastic turnout with around 90 attendees and some great kōrero with local residents, community leaders, and our project team.

We’re especially pleased to welcome our new newsletter subscribers, great to have you on board!

We heard a range of thoughtful questions and comments, particularly around construction impacts, vegetation removal and the noise from the future road. To help clarify these topics, we’ve pulled together this factsheet that addresses the most common questions:

Managing traffic noise: What you need to know

We’ll continue to share more information as it becomes available - so stay tuned.

Click on the image below to watch a fly-through video of what the expressway between Taradale Road and Pākōwhai Road could look like. We first shared the video at the community drop-in session.

Enabling works completed

Enabling works between Pākōwhai Road and Meeanee Road wrapped up in May. This included vegetation clearance and building up the ground in preparation for future four-laning. We used safe, repurposed Cyclone Gabrielle silt to raise the land and create a wide, flat surface.

Looking south toward the Pākōwhai/Links roundabout before and after enabling works.

We also successfully realigned the shared path west of the Tutaekuri River Bridge, and all work areas have been hydroseeded to help vegetation grow back.

Click here to learn more about the enabling works. 

The new Rotary Pathway alignment.

What’s next

As with most large infrastructure projects, funding is confirmed in stages — each phase begins only once funding is secured.

A decision on whether to start construction of Section 1 - from Taradale Road to Pākōwhai Road - is expected later this year. This section includes new lanes and bridges over Kennedy Road, Meeanee Road, and the Tutaekuri River.

Our teams are currently working on the detailed design, which covers everything from bridge structures and surface types to stormwater systems, landscaping, and streetlighting.

Check out the concept plans for Section 1 – Taradale Road to Pākōwhai Road.

View the Section 1 timeline below. Timeline subject to change and funding approvals.

Further funding confirmed for Section 2 early works

Last month, the project received additional funding to start early works on the next section of the expressway (Section 2). This includes geotechnical investigations between Pākōwhai Road and York Road, as well as ground improvements at the Ngaruroro River Bridge.

Check out the Minister of Transport's funding announcement.

Pictured below is York Road roundabout looking toward Omahu Road roundabout. Section 2 includes York Road to Pākōwhai Road and Taradale Road to Prebensen Drive.

More information

Contact us if you have any questions hbexpressway@nzta.govt.nz or visit the website for more information SH2 Hawke's Bay Expressway