TREC Tairāwhiti recovery update

Issue 21

16 May 2025

Tēnā koe

In this edition, we’ll update you on progress to stabilise and restore State Highway 35 (SH35) to 2 lanes at Kopuaroa and Opape, there’s the latest on the Hikuwai Bridge No. 1 project, and news about Kemps Hill work starting.

Please allow extra time when travelling and take care when passing through work sites.

Thanks again for your ongoing patience as we carry out this important mahi.

SH35: Hikuwai Bridge update

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Hikuwai crews with the site offices delivered and demolition of the old bridge underway in the Hikuwai River.

In order to construct the replacement bridge at Hikuwai, Currie Construction has removed Pier B, the sole remaining pier from the previous bridge. A river run platform made of rock was used and a silt curtain installed in the river to help mitigate any environmental impacts. We’ll share more on the removal of Pier B in the next issue.

The site offices will be home to various contractor crews working on the project over the next 12-18 months with upwards of 50 people onsite at the project peak.

The site prior to Pier B being removed.

Final stages at Opape

We're making great progress on the underslip repairs at Opape and are on track to reopen this section of SH35 to 2 lanes by the end of the month.

Heavy rain damaged the area, and it has been down to 1 lane while TREC crews and local contractors Hicks Bay Drainage rebuilt and reinforced it.

This week, crews are putting the finishing touches on the culvert installation—a drainage system that channels water under the road—and the flume, which directs water flow to protect the site.

A final inspection is planned for next week. Following this both lanes will reopen.

The Opape gabion wall is made up of 31 gabion baskets, holding around 70 cubic metres of rock. This sturdy structure and the new drainage will help stabilise the ground and reduce erosion.

SH35: Kemps Hill kicks-off

Repair work at Kemps Hill, south of Tikitiki, is underway.

Three underslips have reduced this part of SH35 to a single lane. Work on the first 2 underslips has started, with planning underway for the third.

Crews will construct a ‘living wall’ of willows to reinforce the hillside and rebuild the road using carefully layered engineered fill (soil, rock, and other materials) to make it stronger.

All 3 slips are expected to be repaired by late 2025.

The road is down to 1 lane with traffic lights in place. Please allow for short delays when travelling through.
 

Work is underway at Kemps Hill.

Nailing it at Kopuaroa

All 83 soil nails have now been installed at the SH35 Kopuaroa Slip 1 site (pictured), marking a key milestone in stabilising the site. 

Next, crews will build up the area using ‘no-fines concrete’, a permeable mix that allows water to drain and helps reinforce the structure. They will then construct the shotcrete (sprayed concrete) wall to provide extra strength, and install guardrails for safety. The final step is road resurfacing.

Soil nail rods inserted into the Kopuaroa slip face are used to reinforce the soil and increase its strength.

Inspiring a new generation of road safety heroes

We got a head start on Road Safety Week, with a hands-on, interactive event at Te Kura o Tōrere in the Bay of Plenty earlier this month.

The team from TREC, NZ Transport Agency and Waiotahi Contractors visited the kura (school) to talk about upcoming essential slip repairs on SH35 which will see 1 lane of the highway closed for around 6 months. With a site set up on kura grounds and crews using the driveway at times during the project, it was the perfect time to focus on safety.

Hard hats, high-vis vests, and road safety lessons took centre stage as tamariki (children) received an introduction to the world of road works and road safety. They stepped into the boots of roadworkers, learning how to manage traffic as Site Traffic Management Supervisors, and discovering the skills required to work safely on infrastructure projects.

The theme of Road Safety Week this year is 'Be a road safety hero', and the tamariki gained a good understanding of how we can all play a part in making journeys safer for everyone.

If you’re travelling on SH35 between Te Kaha and Ōpōtiki, please plan ahead and expect 5-to-10-minute delays while this work is underway.

More information.

Road safety fun with tamariki from Te Kura o Tōrere.

Connecting with you

Check out this stunning sunrise. It was captured at Tatapouri by a team member on her way to this month’s Rural Support Roadshow sessions. What a way to start the day!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in Te Puia Springs and Manaaki Matakāoa in Te Araroa on Tuesday. We had some great conversations.

Stay tuned for details on our next meetings by following The Rural Support Roadshow on Facebook. See you next time.

Sunrise photo taken from Tatapouri Beach.

Reminder: Short delays on SH2 at Mōrere

Work to repair a stretch of State Highway 2 (SH2) at Mōrere, north of Wairoa, is going well.

We've added new material to the existing road surface, strengthened it with cement, and will chipseal it this week to strengthen the area.

Once sealing is complete, line marking and new safety barriers will be added to finalise the repairs.

Work is underway Monday to Friday, from 6am until 6pm. Speed limits and traffic controls will stay in place outside work hours to keep drivers safe from uneven surfaces and loose materials. The area is still settling, so caution is needed.

Please allow for delays of up to 10 minutes when travelling through. This work follows extensive drainage upgrades in the area to help improve road stability by redirecting water away from the highway and reducing water pressure on the surrounding hills.

Crews are strengthening a 300m stretch of SH2 at Mōrere.

State highway snapshot

Below is a snapshot of construction works either underway or coming soon. You can also view completed, current and future work sites on our interactive map.

Here are some of the construction terms we use:

• Buttress – supporting structure
• Counterfort drain – drain that improves slope stability by controlling groundwater
• Dolosse - interlocking concrete blocks
• Gabion wall - baskets filled with rocks
• MSE (Mechanically Stabilised Earth) – a retaining wall construction technique used to stabilise slopes
• Rip rap - large rocks
• Rock revetment – protection
• Scour - erosion
• Shotcrete – sprayed liquid concrete
• Soil anchors/soil nails – a device used to hold, restrain and support structures
• Willow wall – using willows as ‘living walls’ to stabilise slips

SH2 underway (see Otoko map)

• Otoko Hill Slip #2 (site G) - hill stabilisation using soil anchors, shotcrete, and rip rap
• Otoko Hill (site B) – major drainage to stabilise slopes
• Otoko Hill (site J) – retaining wall repairs and drainage installation
• Rakauroa – repair underslip using soil anchors and shotcrete

SH2 coming soon

• Matawai Road – willow wall to stabilise slip

SH35 underway 

• Hikuwai Bridge No.1 replacement – enabling (early) works
• Mangahauini Gabion Wall – Stage 2 – soil nails, buttress and rip rap at the bottom of the existing gabion wall
• Kopuaroa Slip 1 – reinstate SH35 to 2 lanes by installing a soil anchor and shotcrete wall
• Kopuaroa Slip 2 – build a 250m long buttress to support SH35 and provide additional drainage
• Opape underslip – buttress repair with gabion wall
• Tōrere – underslip and overslip repairs
• Paronga (D9 Gully) Site – buttress wall with MSE. Two faults to be repaired to reinstate state highway to 2 lanes
• Kemps Hill subsidence – buttress repair using a willow wall. Three faults to be repaired to reinstate state highway to 2 lanes

SH35 coming soon

• Rotokautuku (Waiapu) Bridge revetment – repair the scour at the south end of the bridge and construct a major revetment with dolosse for future-proofing
• Rotokautuku (Waiapu) Bridge repairs – strengthening works
• Makatote dropout #2 – buttress support and rip rap to prevent future river erosion
• Makatote dropout #3 – reinstating state highway to 2 lanes, buttress support and rip rap to prevent future river erosion.

Whakapā mai – Get in touch

• Email us
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Call us: 0800 80 TREC (0800 80 8732)

If you spot an issue at a work site after hours, call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 444449).

Sign-up to receive these regular newsletters:

• TREC Pānui (general newsletter)
• TREC Hawke's Bay regional update
• This TREC Tairāwhiti regional update

Local road network

Gisborne District Council is responsible for local roading recovery projects. More information.

Up-to-date information on local road closures.