Connecting Tairāwhiti

Project update

4 April 2023

Tēnā koe,

The state of emergency for Tairāwhiti has lifted, but the mahi on the ground continues. Our teams have been working non-stop to reconnect isolated communities on the Coast and get the region moving again.

It’s a big job and it will be some time before the roads are back to normal, but we’ve ticked off some major milestones in the past fortnight. Find out more about our progress on the road to recovery below.

Image: The newly opened Mangahauini Track

Access to Tokomaru Bay restored

Weeks of hard mahi from roading contractors in Tairāwhiti has reconnected Tokomaru Bay with Te Puia Springs and the north, thanks to the opening of the new Mangahauini Track.

The new track was opened with a blessing onsite on Monday 3rd April. Cyclone Gabrielle wiped out Hikuwai River No.1 Bridge on SH35 and caused slips and river erosion through the Mangahauini Gorge, meaning that sections of SH35 have been impassable, cutting Tokomaru Bay off to the south and north.

As soon as the cyclone had cleared, roading crews got to work in the Mangahauini Gorge, on Waka Kotahi land adjacent to SH35, carving out the beginnings of the temporary bypass track.

Waka Kotahi Central North Island Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations, Jaclyn Hankin, says it’s understandably been an incredibly stressful time for communities isolated and separated from one another.

“We fully support our contractors in what has truly been an example of hard mahi and a proactive, innovative effort to help re-connect communities in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“It’s only fitting we recognise the drive of our contractors to get started on this access route in hugely challenging circumstances as we continue to reconnect SH35 and its communities.

“Together with the community-led bypass for the Hikuwai Bridge further south, the new track means residents and road users, who haven’t been able to travel south to Gisborne, can now make the journey there. We acknowledge that this will be a huge relief to those communities who have been isolated along SH35, and we thank them for their patience and resilience. It is a testament to all the hard mahi from contractors involved.

“What we have achieved to date could not have been possible without the support of the local communities and contractors, and this is something we are extremely grateful for,” says Ms Hankin.

Image: Representatives from local hāpu, Kuru Contracting, Downer and Waka Kotahi gather for a blessing of the Mangahauini Track led by Jack Chambers

Image: Hapū representatives, members of the local community and Waka Kotahi gathered at the site of the Hikuwai River No.1 Bridge on March 10, with Dr Wayne Ngata, Mark Kopua and Iwiata Williams leading the blessing

Bailey bridge preparations underway at Hikuwai River No. 1 Bridge

Work to install a Bailey bridge over the Hikuwai River is underway, with crews beginning to build the approaches to the bridge. The platform for the crane that will lift the pieces of the bridge into place is also underway, ahead of its arrival from Palmerston North. We have been able to source a larger 300-tonne crane for the job, which is expected to speed up the construction of the bridge. 

With the blessing of mana whenua, the design of the bridge will see two piers constructed in the awa.

The Bailey bridge is expected to be completed in May, though timeframes are dependent on river levels and weather. Once completed, its use will be limited to vehicles under 50 tonnes.

We know it has been tough going for the Tokomaru Bay community, and we are grateful for their patience and resilience as we work to restore this critical connection as fast as we safely can.

Image: Contractors at work in the Waikare Gorge, where a Bailey bridge will be installed

Bailey bridge underway at SH2 Putorino

Work is underway in the Waikare Gorge, where a Bailey bridge will temporarily replace what was washed away during Cyclone Gabrielle. Crews are building the pier that the bridge will sit on. We are aiming to complete construction of the pier this week.

Because of some necessary design changes due to the challenging environment (geology, access, and alignment) and the sourcing of specific materials, the timing of the opening has been delayed and we now expect it open by the end of May in conjunction with the opening of SH2 Bay View to Wairoa. We know these changes to communicated timings are frustrating – we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

Currently SH2 from Tangoio to Tūtira is open to residents, stock movements and essential vehicles only at specified times and with extensive traffic management in place.

Waka Kotahi Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Jaclyn Hankin says a huge effort has gone into getting to this point. 

“A big thank you to our contractors who are leading the work on the ground, and to WSP who’ve designed the Bailey bridge.”

A karakia took place on Monday 20 March, with representatives from Ngāti Pāhauwera and Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust leading the blessing on each side of the Waikari Awa.

Connecting Tairāwhiti with Napier

We are working hard to open the road, but it’s not a quick fix and repair works are dependent on various factors, including favourable weather.

We understand how critical this route is to the region, and we’ll re-open the road as soon as it can be used safely, but the scale of the damage is significant and there’s a lot of work still to be done. Between Bay View and Wairoa there are still approximately 98 sites to repair and the majority of these are underslips. There are 23 sites where a lane is impacted, and these will take time to repair. We also don’t yet have a full view of the damage as some areas are still covered in silt. 

There is a lot of damage to repair around Tūtira and the Devil’s Elbow. There are numerous drop-outs, shoulder repairs and surface repairs required as well as silt clearing, drain clearing and debris removal to be done, and we are finalising plans to bring in abseilers to help stabilise slopes around the Devil’s Elbow. We are working to restore this lifeline as quickly as possible.

Left: Kaumatua Bevan Taylor (Maungaharuru Tangitū Trust) with representatives from Waka Kotahi and WSP. Right: Pete Sims (WSP), Duane Culshaw (Ngāti Pāhauwera), Kuki Green (Ngāti Pāhauwera) and Siobhan Pryde (Waka Kotahi)

SH2 closure ahead between Wairoa and Gisborne

As the clean up from Cyclone Gabrielle continues, roading crews will be replacing the collapsed Mōrere Culvert north of Nūhaka, on SH2.

The works require the stretch of road around the culvert to be closed between 8am Wednesday 19 April and 8am Friday 21 April. The closure means that communities along SH2, including Wairoa, will be without access to Gisborne for 48 hours.

We understand that this will be disruptive and we have been working closely with the communities affected to minimise the impact. This work is critical to strengthening the resilience of the road in heavy rain, and crews will be working day and night to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Please see the Waka Kotahi website for more information.

Thanks to our highway heroes

We’re grateful for the mahi of the teams on the ground, who are putting in the hard yards every day and making strong progress toward reconnecting Tairāwhiti communities. Please help our crews by only travelling if necessary – the faster they can work, the quicker we’ll be able to restore access. If you do need to travel, please take extra care around work sites, obey the speed limits and follow any instructions from roading crews.

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Check the latest updates online

In between newsletters, you can keep up with the latest news on the recovery in Tairāwhiti online at nzta.govt.nz. Find the latest updates on road closures, highway conditions, and progress on recovery all in one place.

Keep up to date

It’s a challenging time to travel around Tairāwhiti. Roads are vulnerable to closures at short notice in wet weather, and repair works may cause delays and road closures at times. Please check Journey Planner before your trip and drive to the conditions.

Traffic updates: Tairāwhiti
Facebook: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
Twitter: Waka Kotahi CNI
Journey Planner: Tairāwhiti
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)
Highway access maps: Gisborne

More information

For more information on the Connecting Tairāwhiti project, contact us at ConnectingTairawhiti@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/ConnectingTairawhiti