Tairāwhiti/Gisborne state highway planned roadworks

Saturday 25 October to Friday 31 October

24 October 2025

Kia ora

Welcome to this week’s issue of the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne state highway planned roadworks update. 

This weekly newsletter keeps you informed about what’s happening across the region’s state highway network – from the summer road renewals to recovery works – so you can plan ahead. 

Yesterday, crews started the third rebuild on State Highway 35 just north of Tikitiki, and a fourth rebuild near Ruatoria is also set to begin on Tuesday next week. Expect to come across several worksites on SH35 over the next week – please plan for delays and take care of our roadworkers as you travel through the worksites.

With Labour Day weekend ahead, we’ll be pausing state highway works until after Monday 27 October (Labour Day). This means roadworkers ‘down tools’ on public holidays unless there’s prior approval to work. Traffic management will remain at some sites, so take care if you’re travelling over the weekend.

Dates in this update may change at short notice due to weather or other unforeseen factors. 

Check Journey Planner for the latest travel information and journey times on the state highways.

Ngā mihi nui, 

The NZTA Tairāwhiti team

Information current as at 1.30pm on 24/10/25

Upcoming roadworks

State Highway 35

SH35 Hicks Bay Hill

• Road rebuild is underway from Monday 6 October to Thursday 30 October, Monday to Friday, 5am-7pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in in place, with up to 15 minute delays. Facebook and Journey Planner

SH35 south of Maraehara Valley Road, Tikitiki (Gudgeons Hill)

• Road rebuild is underway from Tuesday 14 October to Thursday 30 October, Monday to Friday, 5am-7pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in place, with up to 15 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Poroporo River Bridge, Tikitiki

• Road rebuild is underway from Thursday 23 October to Monday 10 November, Monday to Friday, 5am-7pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in place, with up to 15 minute delays. More information.

SH35 south of Waiomatatini Road (Ngarimu Hill), Ruatoria

• Road rebuild is starting Tuesday 28 October to Tuesday 11 November, Monday to Friday, 5am-7pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place, with up to 15 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Mangahauini Gorge

• Recovery works by the Transport Rebuild East Coast alliance (TREC) are ongoing until mid-2026
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in place at various locations, with up to 10 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Hikuwai Bridge No.1

• The bridge rebuild project by TREC is ongoing
• A temporary speed limit is in place. More information

SH35 Rototahe

• Flood resilience works by TREC are ongoing for 6 months, Monday to Friday, 7am-5pm
• Stop/go traffic management and a 30km/hr temporary speed limit is in place with 5-10 minute delays. More information.

SH35 between Oneroa Road and Wairere Road, Wainui

• Drainage installation starting Tuesday 28 October to Friday 31 October, 9am-7pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place, with up to 5 minute delays

SH35 various locations

• Various works including recovery, vegetation clearing and drainage upgrades are ongoing, 6am-6pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits may be in place, with up to 5 minute delays. More information.

SH35 Tōrere, east of Ōpōtiki (across the Bay of Plenty regional boundary)

• Slip repairs by TREC are ongoing.
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits are in place, with up to 5 minute delays. More information.

State Highway 2 North

SH2 Otoko Hill

• Recovery work by TREC is ongoing
• Stop/go traffic management is in place. More information.

SH2 Hakanui Straight

• The flood resilience work by TREC is ongoing until mid-2026
• Stop/go traffic lights and other traffic management is in place, with 5-10 minute delays.
• Please wait for the green signal: The traffic lights are fully automated and wirelessly synced to let one direction through at a time. Driving through a red light risks a crash and throws the system out of sync, causing delays while crews reset the timing. Thanks for helping to keep the site safe and traffic flowing. More information.

SH2 various locations

• Various works are ongoing, 6am-6pm
  Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits may be in place, with up to 5 minute delays.

State Highway 2 South

SH2 near Iwitea Road, between Wairoa and Whakaki (across the Hawke’s Bay regional boundary)

• Road rebuild starting Tuesday 28 October to Monday 24 November, Monday to Friday, 7am-6pm
• Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed limits will be in place, with up to 10 minute delays. Journey Planner and Facebook.

Machines behind the mahi

Road rebuilds take a team and that includes various machines doing different tasks throughout the process. Here’s 3 in action below at the rebuild site on SH35 Hicks Bay. The team are on track to finish here next week, including sealing and linemarking.

Photo below: Convoy! Shaping and compacting the pavement is something that happens both before and after the cement is stabilised.

Photo below: Cement and lime mix is spread in measured quantities prior to being milled in. This step improves strength and neutralises the high clay content of the pavement.

Photo below: Water is important for compaction and suppressing dust.

More information

Please be aware that there may be other minor state highway works not listed in this update.

All work listed is carried out on behalf of NZTA, unless otherwise stated.

For more information on the Gisborne state highway maintenance programme, contact us at Gisbornemaintenance@nzta.govt.nz, visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/tairawhiti or call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).

The Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance send regular updates about recovery work on Tairāwhiti state highways. To receive these, sign up at their website here. For questions about TREC activity, please contact info@trec.nz