TREC Hawke's Bay recovery update

9 May 2025

Tēnā koe,

We’re making steady progress at Devil’s Elbow and this issue we have a video showing some of the challenges, and our safety focus for crew and road users. We also dive into how we use 3D imagery and the efficiencies it brings across our teams - it’s a great time saver which helps us finish our work quicker. 

Check out the latest snapshot section for a brief overview of how sites in construction are going, and the high-level look ahead for roads and rail until the end of the year.  

As we head into winter take extra care on frosty mornings, and wet days and nights. Remember to turn your headlights on and drive to the conditions.

The frequency of this newsletter will change in line with the programme, but we will still keep you informed of any new updates.

Making progress at Devil’s Elbow

The crew continues to be busy at Devil’s Elbow on State Highway 2 (SH2). Over at Project R and Project H (see map below), the team is wrapping up the last of the minor works, and we expect the length between traffic lights will be shortened over the next few weeks. 

Meanwhile, work at Project O is charging ahead and things are going smoothly, so we’re on track to finish ahead of schedule. As these works require a single lane, we’re completing them at night rather than during the day to reduce the impact on road users. We expect to have this section completed by the end of May.

Once Project R, Project H, and Project O are complete, we will continue our focus on Project I and move on to complete Project J. Both projects will be under the same section of traffic management to minimise road user impact as much as we safely can. The traffic lights will be moved to this location, so please look out for those changes.

Devil’s Elbow: Project I update

At Project I we are excited to be starting the next phase of the construction. A vertical drilling rig is getting set up on site this week to start drilling 9m deep piles. 

A vertical drilling rig is a tall, portable structure that has a mast and drill bit at the end of it. This rig is designed to drill straight down into the earth. The piles will take anywhere between 1–2 weeks depending on how the ground proves to drill. We have tested the ground, but sometimes it can be rocky or wet. 

Want a behind-the-scenes view of earlier progress? Check out the video below. It was filmed at Project I at the end of summer and shows us prepping the area. This included creating a safe work zone quite a distance below the road ahead of the current stage of permanent construction (and piling) kicking off.

During and after: Devil’s Elbow Project H

One of the underslips at Project H that has been repaired in the last few months.

A new dimension – how 3D tech is transforming our projects

The imagery technology that our engineering teams use is always evolving and has transformed ways of working over the years. 

From planning next steps to verifying completed tasks, being able to capture high-tech 3D site images helps our teams make smarter decisions faster. 

In the past we would need multiple site visits to get all the data we needed. Now a single visit to capture high-tech imagery gets us pretty much everything needed instantly. That really helps to keep the work moving. 

At rail Bridge 217 (over the Tutaekuri River alongside State Highway 51 - SH51), this practical approach means measurements can be taken from a safe distance, saving time and improving safety. 

These detailed 3D images help to make complex projects more straightforward. Watch the video below to see this technology in action.

Check out the 3D imagery that has transformed how we work across TREC.

Before and during: SH50 Glencoe Gorge underslip

New Zealand designed and Hastings made (by Lattey's) hexagonal Ecoreef blocks are forming the retaining wall.

Site Snapshot

SH2 Hawke's Bay North

• We have completed 40% of the micro piling for the underslip repairs at Mohaka Rail Viaduct. Project completion is currently on track for mid-August.  
• Slip stabilisation at Sandy Creek continues to make good progress and work on the guardrail beam is complete. This site is expected to be finished by mid-May.
• The road surface where we installed the sheetpiling retaining wall at Sandy Creek will be renewed next road surface season, taking advantage of better weather conditions so the road surface has the best chance of longevity. 
• White Pine Bush underslip repairs are expected to begin late August.

SH5 Napier to Taupō

• Three underslips at Māori Gully – work on the northbound lane is nearly complete and we will shortly move to begin work below and on the southbound lane for the largest of the 3 slips. We are scheduled (weather permitting) to lay asphalt this Friday and Saturday, after which the single lane open for traffic will be moved to the northbound lane.  
• Tarawera Culvert repairs are expected to begin in the second half of the year.
• Captain’s Culvert and Eskdale Substation shoulder repairs are expected to begin in Spring.

SH2, SH50, SH51 Hawke’s Bay South

• At State Highway 50 (SH50) Glencoe Gorge underslip repairs are going well with the foundation layer of Ecoreef blocks being filled (see photo above). We’re now 65% of our way through installing the Ecoreef blocks. We’re scheduled to complete this work by the end of June. See more here.
• SH51 Tutaekuri (Waitangi) Bridge repairs are planned to start in July.

SH38

• Tarapatiki underslip repairs are complete.

Rail progress

We've added the site numbers, so you can see the locations on our interactive map. This map is updated every 2 weeks.

Five sites are underway, including: 

• To repair the washout to the embankment and drainage at this Dannevirke site, we are currently working on drilling and grouting 1.2m deep anchors to stabilise the hillside (A3007).
• We are repairing a washout of an embankment and the shallow landslide above the track. This week we are forming the slope and placing rip rap. Next week this site will be hydroseeded (A3011).
• At Makotuku we are repairing a slope failure below the viaduct. This week we are installing anchors into the hillside for stabilisation and installing erosion control matting. We expect to complete this site at the end of the week (A3013). 
• In the cluster of sites between Ormondville and Kopua we are repairing a shallow landslide above the track. At this site we have been installing ground anchors this week and expect to be finished by the week’s end (A3016).
• In close proximity is another shallow landslide above the track. We are repairing this site directly after the completion of site A3016 with similar methods. This site will be complete next week (A3017). When this site is complete, all 6 sites between Ormondville and Kopua will be complete.

Starting soon:

• We will begin repairing a shallow landslide above the track between Matamau and Makotuku in the coming weeks (A3010).

Hastings south - culvert improvements

• Over the next few months, we will be replacing 9 culverts underneath the rail lines. The first of these started this week with the disruptive work taking place over the weekend (working 24 hours a day). 
• We will have a ‘block of line’ (where any trains are stopped) between Ashurst and Napier over the weekend. The last train will be Friday, with the first train going over the replaced culvert on Monday morning. 
• We are working around freight timetables to ensure there’s no disruption of goods going between Palmerston North and Napier.

Bridge 217 (beside SH51 Tutaekuri Bridge) - repairs are expected to begin in late winter.

Whakapā mai – Get in touch

• Email us
• Website
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• 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).

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• TREC Pānui
• TREC Hawke's Bay regional update
• TREC Tairāwhiti regional update
• NZTA Connecting Hawke's Bay

Local road network

Hawke’s Bay councils are responsible for local roading recovery projects.

• Napier City Council
• Hastings District Council
• Wairoa District Council
• Central HB District Council