Not ‘business as usual’ despite road reopening between Napier and Wairoa

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Three months after Cyclone Gabrielle, State Highway 2 will finally reopen between Napier and Wairoa this Sunday.

The drive, which usually takes around 90 minutes, has been taking over six hours thanks to the lengthy detours currently in place.

“The disconnection between those communities was huge,” Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional manager of maintenance and operations Jaclyn Hankin said.

“It’s not just the economical impact to the region, but it’s also the connection of people who have been displaced.”

While the regions will soon be reconnected, it won’t be business as usual for some time yet.

Andrew Shannon, regional manager for contractor Higgins, said the road would open with a temporary speed limit of 60kmh.

“There are a number of areas where the road will be under stop/go conditions, either with traffic lights or manual traffic control.”

The one-lane Bailey bridge’s maximum weight is 50 tonnes and has a 10kmh speed limit.

Another area significantly damaged by the cyclone was Devil’s Elbow.

“We’ve done a lot of repair work to reinstate the stability of the slope and the road is in a safe place now. We’ll have that open to two lanes on Saturday and Sunday,” Ms Hankin said.

Travel times between Wairoa and Napier are expected to be at least two hours.

The road between Devil’s Elbow and Waikare Gorge will only open from 7am to 6pm.

“We will be doing a lot of work over the next few weeks to get it ready for night-time travel. That road is a lifeline and we need to have it available as much as possible.” — NZ Herald

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