Hawke's Bay recovery

2 October 2023

Tēnā koe,

Welcome to our latest issue of the Hawke’s Bay Recovery e-newsletter. A lot of mahi continues across our roading network on the East Coast.

From October, the Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) Alliance will have frequent updates for the community about ongoing recovery and maintenance works. You can sign up for TREC's newsletter below.

This newsletter will continue, but become a quarterly edition, with the next one planned for summer.

The latest from Transport Rebuild East Coast Alliance

The Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) Alliance has been set up to plan, organise and deliver much of the recovery and rebuild work needed on the highway and rail networks, in conjunction with local businesses and contractors. Alliance members include Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Downer, Fulton Hogan and Higgins.

Ongoing recovery works across Te Matau a Māui – Hawke's Bay and Te Tairāwhiti needed to restore the state highway and rail networks to a functional level will continue through the Alliance. The existing highway maintenance teams from Downer and Higgins joined the Alliance on 1 October.

Future rebuild works that will be focused on improving the resilience of the state highway and rail network will also be managed through the team.

The TREC Alliance has mobilised its first crew to site for recovery work at Te Ngarue Culvert (State Highway 2) and other sites will follow.

The TREC team is currently recruiting locally for a number of roles including construction engineers, managers and supervisors, health and safety advisors, administrators and many more. Contact the team for more information on current and future roles.

Want to receive updates from the TREC Alliance? Sign up here. The first update is expected to be sent in October. (A privacy statement can be read below).

State Highway 2 progress update

Crews are continuing to work incredibly hard on State Highway 2 (SH2). We have multiple design teams and geotech experts working on repair solutions for the state highway. Some damaged sites, especially around Devil’s Elbow, White Pine Bush and Mōrere are very complex with difficult access and ongoing site erosion.

• Te Ngarue culvert: Construction is underway, and it will take approximately six weeks to open the road back to two lanes.
• White Pine Bush slump site: Temporary works are complete. The site continues to subside, especially during rain, and monitoring equipment is in place. A permanent fix will be implemented by TREC.
• White Pine Bush underslip: Design teams are starting work on a solution for the site.
• Karearea Stream Bridge: Works between Tangoio and White Pine Bush have recommenced with kerb and channel construction underway, to be followed by guardrail installation. Once completed, the original posted speed limit will be put back in place, two lanes will be operational and traffic lights removed.
• Devil’s Elbow culvert: The installation of anchors to support the road and ensure worker safety has been completed. These anchors will stay in place until a fix to two lanes is constructed. This work will be undertaken by TREC and work on design options have been completed and contractors have started enabling works to reinstate the failed slope and get back to two lanes.
• Devil’s Corner underslip: This is one of the most complex repair sites, and investigations are underway on different options to repair this site.
• River Flats: Work has progressed well to repair roadside underslips and temporary traffic management has been reduced accordingly. Work on another dropout further south is nearing completion.
• Sandy Creek (2 sites): Site 1 is awaiting the installation of anchors to stabilise the ground; our team is currently reviewing the options for a temporary fix of site 2. TREC will work on a long-term solution.
• Mōrere subsidence site (north of Wairoa): A temporary culvert and temporary pump are in place, and the site remains monitored. A permanent solution will require reinstating a deep culvert and this will be undertaken by TREC.
• Concrete Pile underslip (North Mōrere): The road is down to one lane with traffic lights in place; repair works have started and are expected to take about four weeks.

Image: Works have progressed well at River Flats.

SH2 Waipawa safety crossing project

Safety crossing improvement works are currently underway in Waipawa, with the existing crossings being replaced with raised safety platforms.

As a result of the works, a section of SH2 is closed to northbound traffic and a detour is in place 24/7 until Saturday 7 October, weather depending. From Sunday 8 October the closure to northbound traffic will be in place from 7am to 7pm with the detour until Sunday 15 October, again weather depending. Because this work is weather dependent, dates may change.

Find out more about the detour routes via Journey Planner: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner

Improvement works on SH2 south at Pakipaki

Crews are close to completing improvement works on SH2 (Hawke’s Bay Expressway) at Pakipaki. These works have included the installation of bricks and planting behind the existing kerb at the 80km/h signs and the installation of bricks in the traffic island closer to the roundabout. The improvement works are expected to be complete by Friday 6 October.

Image: Bricks have been added near the Pakipaki speed signs.

Progress update on State Highway 5

• Crews are nearing some great completion milestones on State Highway 5 (SH5).
• The engineered fill at Esk underslip between Glengarry and Te Pōhue has been completed, as well as kerb and channel and drainage works. Pavement work is underway and upon completion of chip seal surfacing and signage works, the traffic lights will be removed, passing lane opened and 80km/h posted speed limit will be reinstated.
• Engineered fill at the large underslip at Elands is complete. Drainage and culvert repairs are nearly complete and upon completion of chip seal surfacing and signage works the traffic lights will be removed, passing lane opened and 80km/h posted speed limit will be reinstated. This work is expected to be finished by early October.
• Dropout backfills at the northern site of Captain’s culvert scour site between Te Pōhue and Te Hāroto are ongoing. In early September, road workers unearthed a wooden culvert which triggered an accidental recovery response. Works can now recommence as the discovery will be protected by the construction works. Completion at this site is expected by end of October.

Image: An area of the Captain’s culvert scour site between Te Pōhue and Te Hāroto.

Safety improvements underway on State Highway 51

Napier roundabout works

Overnight works are planned for the roundabout at the State Highway 51/Georges Drive intersection with Latham Street in Napier.

From Sunday 8 October, the intersection will close for five nights between 6pm and 6am while crews work to install a new concrete apron around the roundabout.

The new apron will better differentiate the road from the roundabout, ensuring people correctly and safely use the roundabout when travelling through that intersection, rather than driving straight over it.

Signposted detours will be available. While the overnight closures are in place, access will remain for residents in the area. Further information can be found here.

Napier to Hastings safety improvement works

Crews are continuing safety improvement works on SH51 between Napier and Hastings. We’re currently in stage one of these works, which include adding flexible median barriers, side barrier and creating wider centre lines on SH51/ Waitangi Road. Keep up to date with travel impacts and detours as a result of these works via Journey Planner: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner

Progress update on State Highway 38

A number of riverside underslips have been completed, are underway or being planned for repair. This includes the Waikaretaheke Stream Underslip No.2, with recent progress shown in the photo below.

Watch: In case you missed it…

Check out this cool timelapse video below of the incredible mahi crews put in to rebuild the approach to the Waipawa River Bridge on State Highway 50.

Fees and charges changed on 1 October

We’ve changed our fees for driver licensing, vehicle licensing and registration, Road User Charges (RUC) administration, and vehicle certification. Some fees have gone up, while others have gone down.

On 1 October, the cost of each stage of a driver's licence changed to a flat rate, with fees to re-sit a licence test removed. There are changes to administration fees for rego and Road User Charges and to the prices vehicle certifiers pay for their forms and labels.

Many increases are relatively small. For example, the administration cost to renew your rego online or through an agent like AA increases by around $4.50. The Waka Kotahi portion of a WOF charge increases by around $2.

Check out www.nzta.govt.nz/funding-and-fees for the changes to fees and for more information.

Keep up to date

It’s a challenging time to travel around Hawke’s Bay. Please plan ahead and drive to the conditions.

Traffic updates: Hawke’s Bay
Facebook: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
Twitter: Waka Kotahi CNI
Journey planner: Hawke’s Bay
Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)

More information

For more information on the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, see TREC's website here. There's also a dedicated Hawke’s Bay Cyclone Recovery section on the Waka Kotahi website.

You can also contact us at hawkesbay.response@nzta.govt.nz

Subscribing to this newsletter

TREC privacy statement: If you subscribe to updates or newsletters from Waka Kotahi on behalf of the TREC Alliance, we need to collect your name and email address so that we can add you to the mailing list. For full information on how Waka Kotahi will collect, store, use and share your personal information, please refer to Waka Kotahi’s general privacy statement and in particular the project updates and newsletters Privacy Statement. You can unsubscribe at any time, just click the unsubscribe button on the project update or newsletter email.

This e-newsletter is designed to keep you updated on our progress, any changes and things you need to know. You are receiving this e-newsletter today as you have previously registered your interest in matters affecting our state highway network in Hawke’s Bay. Please share it with others who may find the information useful or, alternatively, you can unsubscribe.