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Connecting Tairāwhiti project update

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September 2021

 

Tēnā koe,

The Connecting Tairāwhiti newsletter shares news about Waka Kotahi projects in Northern Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. These projects are improving safety and how drivers experience the region’s state highways, as well as creating employment opportunities and making it easier to travel around and between the regions.

Over the next few years, Waka Kotahi projects across State Highways 2 and 35 include constructing additional passing opportunities, building resilience through engineering and planting, opening new routes for High Productivity Motor Vehicles, reviewing speed limits and many other safety improvement projects. 

To keep communities updated on our work and projects, we’ve developed an interactive online map that holds project information, photos, videos and maps. If you have received this newsletter from someone else, you can also subscribe to the Connecting Tairāwhiti newsletter here

You can read about projects that are completed or underway at Omoko Bridge, Motu Bridge (between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki),  Wharerata, Tahaenui Bridge, Raupunga, Kotemaori and Matahorua (between Gisborne and Napier), and see potential locations for upcoming passing opportunities and resilience improvements.

The interactive map is best viewed on a desktop device, so you can explore the different sites. We’ve also developed a mobile-friendly version, where you can download the Prezi app so you can view the map as a presentation.

Check it out on the Connecting Tairāwhiti map page here.

To see how all these projects are funded visit our funding webpage here

 

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Kotemaori School pupils singing and planting Ti Kouka near the recently completed slow vehicle bay

 

FROM THE SITE: KOTEMAORI LOCALS CELEBRATE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

The construction of a slow vehicle bay at the small settlement of Kotemaori, north of Napier on SH2, has been a catalyst for bringing people together.

Completed in July, the slow vehicle bay is one of many safety and inter-regional connectivity improvements.

Waka Kotahi has worked with local iwi, Ngāti Pāhauwera, throughout construction and a recent tree planting ceremony celebrated the end of the project.

The tree planting was attended by Kotemaori School’s 16 pupils, local police, Waka Kotahi, contractor Higgins, consultants WSP and was led by Ngāti Pāhauwera.

Pupils planted tī kōuka (cabbage trees) and named the hill they were planted on “Tī kōuka Maunga”.

Hear directly from the community on what they think of the project here.

 

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Planting to stabilise hillsides and build the resilience of SH35 is commencing

 

PLANTING BEGINS ON SH35

Nearly 4000 native plants are being planted along SH35’s roadside banks this month to help strengthen and stabilise the road.

The planting is part of the Waka Kotahi SH35 Resilience project - included in the Tairāwhiti Roading package - and has $13.5 million in funding from Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit.

“This project is all about making SH35 more reliable for everyone who uses it,” says Senior Project Manager Richard Bayley.

“These plants will stabilise slopes in the soft rock here and will reduce the amount of water that ends up on the road, which can weaken the surface and destabilise the foundations.

Read more here.

 

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Recognition for Hinetapuarau, who stands tall over the new Te Whitinga o Tamataipunoa (former Motu) Bridge.

 

NATIONAL AWARD FOR HINETAPUARAU POU IN MATAWAI

The Hinetapuarau Pou near the new Te Whitinga o Tamataipūnoa (former Motu) Bridge, just north of Matawai on SH2, has been recognised with an award at the recent Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand (SESOC) awards.

WSP, the structural engineering designers for the pou, entered Hinetapuarau into the awards and won the ‘Small projects’ category.

The pou was designed by local artist Nick Tupara on behalf of Matawai Marae and for his iwi of Tūranganui-ā-Kiwa and Te Whakatohea, and was brought to life by the Gisborne Engineering team, headed by Kevin Alvie.

“The engineers definitely had their artistic hats on, finding elegant solutions and giving me confidence that the stories of my uncles (reflected in the pou) were being taken seriously. I knew that the engineers also wanted this to be a beautiful expression of art,” says Mr Tupara.

Find out more here.

 

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Work to form the realigned road at Raupunga has started.

 

RAUPUNGA REALIGNMENT ON THE FINAL STRAIGHT

Work has re-commenced at Raupunga Bluff on SH2, after a break for winter weather and then Alert Level 4 lockdown.

This $2.8 Million project will realign 600m of the road to the west, away from the Mohaka River which is eroding the cliff near the roadside.

Around 13,000 cubic metres of hill side has been excavated and a retaining wall is now complete to support the KiwiRail track at the top of the bluff.

Speed restrictions are currently in place and will include stop/go traffic management with short delays when road works start soon.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

 

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A slow vehicle bay at Wharerata, south of Gisborne, is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

 

RESURFACING COMMENCES AT WHARERATA SLOW VEHICLE BAY

Contractors are now recommencing work on a slow vehicle bay at Wharerata on SH2, just over 40km south of Gisborne.

Starting from last week, pavement construction and resurfacing work will get underway.

The project is part of the SH2/SH35 Passing Opportunities project, funded by Waka Kotahi and Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit.

Work on the slow vehicle bay was also on hold for winter weather when the Covid-19 lockdown prevented a return to scheduled construction however, work is still expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Stop/go traffic management will be in place and delays of up to five minutes are expected. 

The temporary speed limit will be 30km within the site between 6am and 6pm. Outside those hours, the temporary speed limit will be reduced to between 50km/h and 70km/h.

During October, work will be carried out at the intersection with forestry accessway Puninga Road, so Puninga Road will be closed during that time.

 

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Left: Tahaenui Bridge prior to widening. Right: After new bridge decks installed, allowing for two-lane traffic.

 

LAST SINGLE-LANE BRIDGE BETWEEN NAPIER AND GISBORNE DOUBLE-LANED

The extension of Tahaenui Bridge, the last single-lane bridge on SH2 between Napier and Gisborne, has now been completed.

Now that the bridge near Nūhaka has been widened to two lanes, further safety improvements are being made at the Manutai Marae entrance, just metres from the bridge, so people can safely enter and exit the marae — particularly during large events such as tangihanga.

The $2.2m project, funded by the regional package of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, will also include further planting and improved signage.

 

 

UPCOMING PROJECTS: SH2/SH35 PASSING OPPORTUNITIES

Waikoau Hill (near Tutira) – Slow vehicle bay extension. Starts late 2021.
Kakariki (near Kotemaori) - Realignment and slow vehicle bay. Starts early 2022.
Tatapouri (near Gisborne) – Slow vehicle bay. Starts early 2022.
Otoko Hill (in Waioeka Gorge) – Northbound slow vehicle bay extension and southbound new slow vehicle bay. Start late 2021.

 

 

UPCOMING PROJECTS: SH35 RESILIENCE:

Between now and early 2022 resilience work is being carried out at:


Turihaua point (near Gisborne) – coastal protection
Busby’s Hill (just south of Tokomaru Bay) – slope stabilisation

 

 

GOING LOCAL IN TAIRĀWHITI

Connecting Tairāwhiti projects aim to drive economic growth and attract investment in the region.

This is being achieved by working with Central Government and spreading work from the programme across a number of engineering consultants, contractors and material suppliers.

Here are some of the great companies we are working with:

 
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In other news...

 

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We want to hear what you think of proposed improvements to the Waioeka Gorge

 

HAVE YOUR SAY ON IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH WAIOEKA GORGE

We're assessing engineering options to improve the safety and resilience of SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge.

We’ve mapped the options we’re considering and are seeking feedback on what people think of these, as well as what they think about overall safety through the Gorge.

Find out more and share your thoughts here. Feedback is open until 1 November 2021.

 

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Preventing stock wandering on SH35 is an important safety issue for the East Coast.

 

PRAISE FOR STOCK OWNERS MENDING FENCES ALONG SH35

Waka Kotahi is praising East Coast farmers and stock owners whose efforts have ensured that fencing is safe and secure to keep animals from wandering onto the state highways.

Stock wandering onto SH35 has been an ongoing concern for many years. Since July 2020, 587 wandering stock incidents have been recorded.

National Journey Manager Helen Harris says that while Waka Kotahi has continued to respond to a high number of incidents in the year since, she is heartened by the visible improvements that people have made to their fencing along SH35.

“We’ve been talking to stock owners and have written letters to remind them of their important role in keeping motorists safe by repairing broken fences and gates to prevent animals from wandering onto the highway.

“Prior to the lockdown, our team took a drive along SH35 and saw that considerable effort had gone into fencing repairs or new fencing. We know that the flooding around Tokomaru Bay in winter took a toll on everyone, so we really appreciate the effort that people have made to check for any damage to fencing after the floods.

To read more go here.

 

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Have your say on proposed driver licensing changes.

 

PROPOSED DRIVER LICENSING CHANGES

We’re proposing some changes to driver licensing legislation, relating to Class 1 to 6 learner and restricted licences.

Have your say on the proposed changes here.

 

 

Subscribing to this newsletter

You have received this newsletter because you have either subscribed via our website, you attended a 'SH35 Have Your Say' consultation event and gave us your contact details, or you have been involved in the development of the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme. If you do not wish to receive these newsletters in future, please click unsubscribe at the end of this email.

This newsletter will be sent to subscribers every few months and includes updates on active projects, upcoming projects and stories about how our work helps improve access to and across the Tairāwhiti region for locals, visitors and businesses alike.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with your networks and encourage them to subscribe below to stay well informed about what’s happening on our region's highways.

 

 

MORE INFORMATION

 
 

For more information or to give feedback email ConnectingTairawhiti@nzta.govt.nz

Explore our Connecting Tairawhiti map 

Visit our Connecting Tairāwhiti website

Visit our Passing Opportunities webpage 

Visit our Resilience webpage

Subscribe to future newsletter here