SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki

Project update

9 May 2025

The intersection of State Highway 2 and Wainui Road before works begin

Set up and physical works begin

Contractor CAMEX has been busy setting up the Matekerepu roundabout site so construction can start on the State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road intersection improvements.

Enabling works such as setting up the contractor’s site office, vegetation clearing and fencing has been underway since late April. The team are also busy putting in environmental controls to minimise impacts such as sediment run-off from entering the surrounding environment. 

At the moment, most of the work is taking place in the paddock next to the intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road. As this area is now a working construction site, temporary traffic management is in place and we ask everyone to please follow the signs, speed limit and directions from the traffic management team. People can also expect shoulder closures and intermittent stop/go.

Two teardrop shaped roundabouts to be installed at either side of the Waiōtahe River Bridge

Funding approved for final section of safety improvements project

Minister of Transport Chris Bishop announced today the 2 intersections on either side of the Waiōtahe River Bridge on SH2 will be made safer as funding for the final section of the Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki safety improvements project has been approved. You can read about this here.

The safety improvements include minor road realignment and the installation of 2 teardrop roundabouts at SH2/Waiōtahe Valley Back Road and SH2/Ōhiwa Beach Road intersections. Vehicles joining SH2 from Ōhiwa Beach Road or Waiōtahe Valley Back Road will have a left turn only and be able to drive over the bridge to safely turn around at the other teardrop roundabout and head in the opposite direction.

We’re currently in the beginning stages of work and have some key milestones to achieve before physical works can get underway. These include completing the detailed design of the new intersections, purchasing land, and applying for resource consents. Construction is expected to begin in mid-late 2026.

We’ll update the community as things progress on this final section of the safety improvements project.

Thank you

We do our best to minimise impacts to people as they drive through our work site and want to thank the local community for their patience. We’re pleased to be delivering important safety improvements at the SH2 and Wainui Road intersection and looking forward to starting work on the final section in 2026.

More information

For more information on the SH2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki project, visit our website nzta.govt.nz/sh2-wainui-road-to-opotiki

If you have any questions, please contact us at bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz