TREC Tairāwhiti recovery update

Issue 18

4 April 2025

Tēnā koe

In this edition we share updates about work starting at Hikuwai on a permanent replacement bridge for State Highway 35 (SH35) communities.

We also have updates on work starting soon on SH35 at D9 (north of Tikitiki) and Kemps Hill, and on our teams at Kopuaroa working day and night to get the job done.

On State Highway 2 (SH2) north we have 5 projects underway with another starting soon.

We will again be joining the Gisborne District Council Rural Roadshow. For a face-to-face korero come along next Tuesday 8 April at Te Puna Manaaki a Ruataupare in Wharekahika (Hicks Bay) from 10am to 12pm and Ruatoria The Bank, 165 Waiomatatini Rd from 1 - 3pm.

Thanks again for your ongoing patience as we carry out this important mahi.

Milestone for SH35 communities – enabling (early) works underway at Hikuwai Bridge No.1

Enabling (early) works have started on a permanent replacement for Hikuwai Bridge No.1, damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. This is a major milestone for SH35 communities.

The event was marked with a karakia last week, hosted and led by tangata whenua and landowners. The TREC project team along with local kura kaupapa and local contractors attended.

Kaumatua, Chris Marsh; Board Co-Chair, Te Whare Hauora o Te Aitanga a Hauiti delivered the blessing and landowner Philip Hope welcomed guests and spoke of partnership, working together and acknowledged the vital role of Te Mana o te Wai (fundamental importance of water).

Enabling works are expected to take approximately 4 months before main works on the bridge begin. The enabling works will include 3 milestones: 

• Site set-up (office and laydown/storage areas)
• Temporary road construction
• Demolition of the old bridge

For further details you can read the media release.

Hikuwai Bridge No.1 site plan and group photo of karakia

SH35: Kemps Hill and D9 recovery works begin soon

Recovery work on SH35 is progressing well with most of the smaller sites to be complete by mid-2025.

In the coming weeks work is planned to start at:

• D9 (north of Tikitiki) to repair 2 underslips that occurred during Cyclone Gabrielle, reducing the highway to one lane.
• Kemps Hill where the road has failed in 3 locations.

Repairs at D9 include excavating the slips to level them before adding engineered fill (material) and geotextile fabric. This will be compacted into layers back up to road level.

At Kemps Hill a willow wall will be constructed as a ‘living wall’ to stabilise the hillside and 3 underslips will also be repaired. The first 2 slips will be repaired from April to mid 2025 and the third completed from mid to late-2025.

We’ll share more information as start dates are confirmed.

Underslip repairs and hillside stabilisation are required at Kemps Hill

SH35: Crews on 24/7 at Kopuaroa Slip 2

To make up for challenging ground conditions that could cause delays, we have 4 crews working round the clock over the next few weeks on SH35 Kopuaroa Slip 2.

This site is approximately 200m long and the first site you pass at Kopuaroa if heading north on SH35.

A big shout out to Kuru’s Construction working day and night to complete this essential work and get the road back to 2 lanes.

One-way traffic with traffic lights working 24/7 will remain in place until this work is finished.

Please drive with care particularly through this section of road at night. The people working here are our friends and whānau and we want them to get home safe after each shift.

Kopuaroa Slip 2 site by night

SH35: Kopuaroa slip progress

Kopuaroa Hill is prone to movement due to its soft, erodible soils. Following the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle, TREC and local contractors have multiple repair sites to tackle here.

One of the key spots affected by a major slip reduced the highway to one lane. To repair the damage, crews are drilling in soil anchors (long rods) to help support and stabilise under the road, followed by shotcreting (sprayed on liquid concrete) to restore the highway back to 2 lanes.

To minimise disruption for road users, TREC and local contractors are doing most of the work while keeping the road open. This adds an extra challenge for our hardworking crews - especially when working in tight spaces and at heights – as they’re also working close to moving traffic.

Take a closer look at the progress being made and meet one of our Iwi partners helping drive this project forward.

SH2 north update

Rakauroa - work is now underway to repair an underslip using an anchored shotcrete wall. This is where soil anchors are drilled under the road to help stabilise it, then covered with sprayed liquid concrete (shotcreting). This work will reinstate the road shoulder and guardrail (safety barrier).

Matawai Road – repairs on the overslip here are scheduled to get underway late-April.

Otoko Hill progress

Essential tree removal currently underway between Hihiroroa Road and Fitzgerald Road is expected to be complete by mid next week.

These trees were identified as being possible hazards during high winds and weather events. 3 projects are currently underway on this stretch of road including an underslip repair, retaining wall repairs and drainage installation. The underslip site (G) pictured is nearing completion. You can see where site G is on our Otoko map.

State highway snapshot

Below is a snapshot of construction works either underway or coming soon. You can also view sites on our interactive map.

Here are some of the construction terms we use:

• Buttress – supporting structure
• Counterfort drain – drain that improves slope stability by controlling groundwater
• Dolosse - interlocking concrete blocks
• Gabion wall - baskets filled with rocks
• MSE (Mechanically Stabilised Earth) – a retaining wall construction technique used to stabilise slopes
• Rip rap - large rocks
• Rock revetment – protection
• Scour - erosion
• Shotcrete – sprayed liquid concrete
• Soil anchors/soil nails – a device used to hold, restrain and support structures
• Willow wall – using willows as ‘living walls’ to stabilise slips

SH2 underway 

• Otoko Hill Slip #2 (site G) - hill stabilisation using soil anchors, shotcrete, and rip rap
• Allen’s Existing Wall (site J) – reinstate underslip under existing wall using soil anchors and shotcrete
• Otoko Hill (site B) – tree removal and major drainage to stabilise slopes
• Otoko Hill (site J) – retaining wall repairs and drainage installation
• Rakauroa – repair underslip using soil anchors and shotcrete

SH2 coming soon

• Matawai Road – willow wall to stabilise slip

SH35 underway

• Hikuwai Bridge No.1 replacement – enabling works
• Kopuaroa Stream Bridge – scour protection beneath bridge using soil nails and shotcrete
• Mangahauini Gorge early investigations - drilling for soil samples to help with the design of this major project
• Mangahauini Gorge early works - river training and sheet pile wall strengthening
• Mangahauini Gabion Wall – Stage 2 – soil nails, buttress and rip rap at the bottom of the existing gabion wall
• Kopuaroa Slip 1 – reinstate SH35 to 2 lanes by installing a soil anchor and shotcrete wall
• Kopuaroa Slip 2 – build a 250m long buttress to support SH35 and provide additional drainage
• Opape underslip – buttress with gabion wall

SH35 coming soon

• Kemps Hill subsidence – buttress repair using a willow wall. 3 faults to be repaired to reinstate state highway to 2 lanes
• Te Kura o Torere – underslip and overslip repairs
• D9 Gully Site – buttress wall with MSE. 2 faults to be repaired to reinstate highway to 2 lanes
• Waiapu revetment – repair the scour at the south end of the bridge and construct a major revetment with dolosse for futureproofing
• Rotokautuku (Waiapu) Bridge repairs – strengthening works
• Makatote dropout #2 – buttress support and rip rap to prevent future river erosion
• Makatote dropout #3 – reinstating state highway to two lanes, buttress support and rip rap to prevent future river erosion

Whakapā mai – Get in touch

• Email us
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• 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 (general newsletter)
• TREC Hawke's Bay regional update (fortnightly)
• This TREC Tairāwhiti regional update (fortnightly)

Local road network

Gisborne District Council is responsible for local roading recovery projects. More information.

Up-to-date information on local road closures.