Tairāwhiti/Gisborne state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 27 September to Friday 3 October

26 September 2025

Before you travel these school holidays, check Journey Planner for the latest information.

Dates in this update may change at short notice due to weather or other unforeseen factors.

If a state highway is not included in this update, there are no major or disruptive works planned for that corridor.

Ngā mihi nui,

The NZTA Waka Kotahi Tāirawhiti team

Information current as at 12pm midday on 26/09/2025

Upcoming roadworks

State Highway 35

SH35 Hicks Bay Hill

• Starting Monday 6 October – Thursday 30 October, Monday to Friday, 5am-7pm
• Due to a road rebuild, stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place, with up to 15-minute delays.

SH35 Hikuwai Bridge No.1

• Ongoing, 24/7
• Due to the bridge rebuild project by the Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance, temporary speed limits are in place. More information

SH35 Mangahauini Gorge

• Ongoing until mid-2026, 24/7
• Due to the recovery project by TREC, stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place at various locations, with 0-10 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Rototahe

• Ongoing for 6 months, Monday to Friday, 7am-5pm
• Due to the flood resilience project by TREC, stop/go traffic management and 30km/hr temporary speed limits is in place for northbound traffic, with 5-10 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Various locations

• Ongoing, 6am-6pm
• Due to various roadworks, stop/go traffic management and temporary speed restrictions will be in place, with 0-5 minute delays.

State Highway 2 North

SH2 Otoko Hill

• Ongoing, 24/7
• Due to multiple recovery works by TREC, stop/go traffic management will be in place. More information.

SH2 North of Rakauroa Road

• Ongoing, 6am-6pm
• Due to drop out repairs, the passing lane is closed.

SH2 Hakanui Straight

• Ongoing until mid-2026, 24/7
• Due to the flood resilience project by TREC, stop/go traffic lights and other traffic management is in place, with 5-10 minute delays. More information.

What to expect on the state highways this summer

We're planning over 65 lane kilometres of state highways in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne this summer season (October 2025 to April 2026).

This interactive map shows where on the state highways we're rebuilding or resealing over this summer and the next two years:

NZTA Forward Works Programme

This summer renewals work takes place alongside our other programmes in Tairāwhiti, such as resilience works and ongoing recovery works.

How to use the map: The data can be filtered by financial year, network area and treatment at the top right of the dashboard. Click "Select Financial Year" and/or "Select Network" and/or "Select Treatment" to see all drop down options.

Summer season starting on SH35

Our summer renewals season is set to start at the top of State Highway 35 at Wharekahika/Hicks Bay on Monday 6 October. Our crews will be at Hicks Bay Hill to carry out a full road rebuild to make the road stronger and last longer.

A road rebuild involves removing the existing road surface and underlying pavement and replacing it with new or recycled materials. Rebuilding usually takes longer than resealing and this rebuild is expected to take around 4 weeks.

If you’re travelling through the area, please plan ahead for stop/go traffic management, allow for short delays and stick to the temporary speed limit in place – it’s there to keep you and our roadworkers safe.

And while this marks the start of the summer season, it’s not the end of the story for Hicks Bay Hill. Later this season, we’ll be back to reseal the section immediately next to the rebuild site. We’ll keep you posted before the resealing work begins.

Location of the rebuild site (green section) and the reseal site (blue section).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you rebuild roads?

We rebuild roads to make them stronger and last longer. It’s like fixing the base of a road so it doesn’t break easily. After about a year, we come back to add another layer on top to seal it properly and keep water out.

Why do you reseal roads?

Think of road seal like paint on a house - it protects the surface from water. Over time, the seal wears out and water can get in, which damages the road. We reseal it before that happens, even if the road still looks okay.

Why are there cones and signs when no one is working?

Even when workers aren’t there, we may leave signs, cones, and temporary speed limits to protect the new road surface and people driving. The new road might still need time to settle, or the layout might be different, and we want to make sure drivers stay careful.

More information

Please be aware that there may be other less disruptive state highway works not listed in this newsletter.

All work listed above is being undertaken on behalf of NZTA, unless otherwise stated. The Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance is also undertaking recovery work on our behalf in Tairāwhiti this season.

For more information on the Gisborne state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Gisbornemaintenance@nzta.govt.nz, visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/tairawhiti or call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

TREC send a regular newsletter about the recovery work on the state highways in Tairāwhiti. If you’d like to receive these, you can sign up at their website here. If you have any questions about TREC activity, please contact info@trec.nz