Immediate start on repairing highways

A major dropout on State Highway 2 between Napier and Waikare was one of more than 100 sites of slips, washouts and other damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in February. $120m has now been made available to repair and maintain the highway from Waikare Bridge to Napier. NZME picture

A whopping $377 million worth of roading and infrastructure projects aimed at rebuilding the region’s cyclone-battered highways will get under way immediately, with still more funding to come, Waka Kotahi says.

The Government this week announced it would provide a further $567 million to Waka Kotahi for immediate works on state highways in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland.

The funding comes from the $6 billion National Resilience Plan announced in May’s Budget and is on top of the $525 million already provided to Waka Kotahi in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

Waka Kotahi confirmed yesterday the new funding was for immediate works to continue to repair the state highway network (as opposed to council managed roads) in the five regions hit worst by the cyclone.

“It includes slip protection, under-slip repairs, retaining wall repairs/rebuild, pavement and surfacing works on the state highway network,” Waka Kotahi maintenance and operations regional manager Jaclyn Hankin said.

“The funding builds on $525m provided to Waka Kotahi for state highway and local road emergency works to date ($250m in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle and an additional $275m announced in Budget 2023) and is primarily for immediate recovery work across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.

“These immediate recovery works focus on retaining state highway access in the short term and will support the immediate emergency works that have already taken place.

“They are a step towards a more reliable, safer and more resilient state highway network that provides equitable access to necessary goods, services and connections to friends and whānau that people on the East Coast need not only to survive, but to thrive.”

Key funding allocations for Tairāwhiti include $39m to repair and maintain SH2 from the existing Waikare Bailey bridge crossing at Putorino through Gisborne and to Ōpōtiki, $18m for works on SH35 between Gisborne and Wharekahika/Hicks Bay, and $140m to replace the Hikuwai No.1 bridge and remove the temporary Bailey bridge.

Alongside that is $16m of pavement and surfacing treatments region-wide, $36m for bridge repairs and $8m for works on SH38 from Wairoa to Waikaremoana.

A further $120m would fund maintenance of SH2 from Waikare Bridge to Napier. That funding would allow the route to stay open while the previously announced Waikare realignment project continued to go through the consent process.

“This work is separate from, and in addition to, the ongoing work around long-term planning for the rebuild of the East Coast state highway network, including options for Devil’s Elbow, and associated funding,” Ms Hankin said.

“The resilient rebuild of the state highway and rail networks will take a number of years. We expect funding for this to be confirmed in the coming months, with physical works expected to kick off in early 2024. Further rebuild work will come over time, following engagement with mana whenua, communities and key stakeholders.

“The Waikare Gorge Realignment project is progressing parallel to the latest funding allocation. It reached a major milestone in May 2023 with the resource consent being lodged with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.”

The realignment project will include 3.9 kilometres of new road and a 160m-long arch bridge, approximately 60 metres above the Waikare River.

Last month, the Government announced the formation of the East Coast Recovery Alliance, a collaboration between Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Fulton Hogan, and the existing maintenance contractors for the two regions, Downer and Higgins.

The group will be tasked with implementing the newly announced projects.

“The Transport Rebuild: East Coast alliance will continue to work closely with the region’s contractors, consultants and suppliers to complement — not replace — existing resource within the region,” Ms Hankin said.

“A number of locally owned organisations are already involved in the recovery work that has been ongoing over recent months. The alliance will continue to work closely with these organisations, and other locally owned contractors and suppliers, as we transition into the alliance model, and as the scope and timing of recovery and rebuild works becomes clearer.

“(We will be) working closely with local communities, organisations, contractors and iwi to ensure all options are explored for a state highway network that is more resilient and safer for everyone using it is one of the next steps for the alliance.”

The recovery funding covers:

Over-slip clearing and stabilisation

Tree removal

Rockfall and slip protection (walls and mesh)

Under-slip repairs, retaining wall repair and build

River and road edge scour repairs/rockfill

Drainage clearing due to silt inundation

Drainage repair and replacement

Secondary flow-path repair and installation

Pavement and seal repairs and replacement

Silt and slash removal

Guard rail and barrier replacement.

■  Information in Tuesday’s story on the funding announcement from the Government incorrectly attributed $39m to the Waikare Bridge; that amount was for immediate repair and maintenance works on SH2 between Opotiki and the Waikare Bridge, south of Wairoa.