Connecting Hawke's Bay

2 September 2025

Tēnā koe,

This issue of Connecting Hawke’s Bay is all about progress on the region's largest upcoming transport projects.

Construction will soon begin on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway project, the Waikare Gorge realignment project is out for tender, and the Waikare Bailey bridge replacement is on track to happen this weekend.

Read on to see what's coming up as the days get warmer. 

Green light for four-lane upgrade of Hawke’s Bay Expressway

Exciting news for Hawke’s Bay! We’re officially breaking ground on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway project in November. Funding has been approved to 4-lane the road between Taradale Road and Links Road/Pākōwhai Road – including the design and construction of a new overpass at the busy Links Road/Pākōwhai Road intersection. 

Read the Minister's announcement here.

This is the first new Road of National Significance (RoNS) project to start construction – a major milestone for the region and the country. These upgrades will improve safety, reduce congestion and make travel between Napier and Hastings quicker and more reliable.

Learn more about the Government's RoNS programme.

From mid-September, you'll start to see activity along Guppy Road as we set up project site facilities and a work site for the new Tutaekuri River Bridge. During construction, public vehicle access to the river will be temporarily unavailable, though pedestrian access to the river will remain open throughout the works.

In mid-November, we’ll be hosting a community drop in session - a chance to connect, ask questions, and learn more about the project. Our local team will be there to chat, share updates, and answer your questions. Time and location details will be confirmed soon, so keep an eye out for updates and the event listing on Facebook.

In the meantime, stay up to date with the project here.

Looking north toward Tutaekuri River Bridge during enabling works earlier this year.

Waikare Bailey bridge replacement on track

Work is progressing well for this weekend’s Bailey bridge replacement at Waikare Gorge, on State Highway 2 (SH2) near Pūtōrino. The new temporary Acrow bridge looks like the Bailey bridge but is wider and stronger. 

If you passed through last week, you may have seen the new bridge being assembled. This week, our workers will be setting up the crane for the ‘swap’ on Saturday.

To do this we are closing SH2 at Waikare Gorge for 24 hours from 10am Saturday to 10am Sunday while the bridges are swapped. This will be followed by night closures on Sunday 7, Monday 8, and Tuesday 9 September (9pm–5am each night) to widen the approaches.

We expect the new single-lane bridge will be fully operational by early Wednesday (10 September) morning, supporting HPMV and more over-dimension vehicles. It will keep Hawke’s Bay, Wairoa, and Gisborne connected while the Waikare Gorge realignment project progresses.

Stay up to date on the closures at Journey Planner and Facebook.

The Acrow bridge being assembled on the southern side of the Bailey bridge last week.

Community Spotlight: Pūtōrino meeting recap

On Tuesday 29 July, we held a community meeting at the Waikare & District Sports Centre in Pūtōrino to update the community on the Bailey bridge work and other activity on State Highway 2 (SH2). 

One of the questions attendees asked was: “Why can’t the Acrow bridge be installed next to the Bailey bridge to create two lanes?”

We’ve also seen similar questions pop up on social media, so here’s a bit more detail:

While it may appear that there’s enough space to place the Acrow bridge alongside the existing Bailey bridge, it’s not quite that straightforward. The new Acrow bridge is being installed using the existing bridge foundations. To position it beside the Bailey bridge would require constructing entirely new foundations and road approaches - adding significant time, cost, and disruption for road users.

The good news? A permanent two-lane solution is already confirmed as part of the Waikare Gorge realignment project. The 4km realignment and new permanent bridge above the gorge will deliver a long-term, resilient upgrade for SH2 and improve connectivity for the community. Check out the progress update below.

Bird's eye view of the Bailey bridge before construction began for the Acrow bridge.

Progress update: State Highway 2 Waikare Gorge realignment

The Waikare Gorge realignment project continues to progress steadily, with several key milestones achieved in recent months.

In July, we signed partnership agreements with Ngāti Pāhauwera and Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust. These agreements build on many years of working with mana whenua on this project. Formalising these partnerships marks an important step as we move closer to the construction phase.

Last month, the tender opened for the project’s Design & Construct contract. This process will run through to December, with a contractor expected to be appointed in early 2026.

Construction is anticipated to begin later in 2026, subject to finalising property agreements.

We’re changing how we share maintenance updates this summer

This summer season, we’ll be emailing regular newsletters to keep you informed about upcoming roadworks on Hawke’s Bay’s state highways.

Sign up to receive them here.