Work is beginning to repair and restore three cyclone-damaged State Highway 2 sections between Wairoa and Napier. The aim is to have these sections back to two lanes before Christmas. 

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) contractors will be working on sections of road at White Pine Bush, Mautaua, near Kotemaori and Sandy Creek, near Putorino. All three sites are currently down to one lane and need rebuilding where they’ve slipped away.   

Rebuilding these road sections will involve installing new drainage and replacing the damaged road surface. Work is expected to be daily from 7am-5pm until a few days before Christmas. As work progresses at these sites, there will be temporary traffic management and a lower speed.

The work to these sections of road will see crucial new drainage installed and aggregate used to build back the roads before being sealed.

Work will also begin on constructing a new slow vehicle bay at Kotemaori.  The 260-metre slow vehicle bay is part of NZ Transport Agency’s Connecting Tairawhiti, which includes a programme to improve passing opportunities, build retaining walls and bring added resilience.

The bay will provide a safer opportunity for passing as road users head north to Wairoa. It will help reduce driver frustration, enable people to safely pass slower vehicles and continue their journey in a timely way.

In addition to the construction of a slow vehicle bay, NZ Transport Agency is also making safety improvements to Kotemaori School’s access on SH2, including a safe right-turn bay to access the school.

These works will start after school has finished for the year to minimise the impact on the school from this work. The project is expected to be completed in April 2024.

4 December 2023

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