Trec to finish Tairāwhiti highway cyclone recovery by mid-2026

Hikuwai No 1 Bridge on SH35 was taken out in Cyclone Gabrielle. Final Transport Rebuild East Coast recovery projects at Hikuwai Bridge, Mangahauini Bridge and Ōtoko Hill will be completed by mid-2026. Photo / Liam Clayton

About 60% of cyclone recovery work on the state highways in Tairāwhiti is expected to be completed by Christmas, and most of the remaining smaller sites will be completed by June 2025.

NZ Transport Agency owner interface manager Richard Bayley told Gisborne District Council’s operations committee during a monthly Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec) Alliance update that Trec would then concentrate on four large recovery projects.

A complex job in a “tight, constrained area” at Devil’s Corner next to Devil’s Elbow would be completed by “around Christmas 2025″ while the final recovery projects at Hikuwai Bridge, Mangahauini Bridge and Ōtoko Hill would be completed by mid-2026.

“The alliance will just naturally get smaller and smaller as we close out,” said Bayley.

Trec was established to deliver much of the recovery and rebuild work needed on the highway and works in partnership with local contractors and suppliers.

Bayley said Trec had been “rightsizing” the budget, restoring roads to what they were before the cyclones but not building improvements.

At Hikuwai Bridge Trec was working on a single, two-way bridge in line with the recovery scope.

Electro-seismic surveying and drilling had been completed, and consents had been lodged.

The procurement strategy started with a local focus and Trec continued to work with iwi/hapū, landowners, council and local contractors to design and deliver the project.

Subject to consent and design work, it was hoped enabling work would start early in the new year.

Bayley said TREC had been directed to focus on securing and recovering State Highway 35 at Mangahauini Gorge with available recovery funding.

There had previously been a business case for improvements, but it was not completed when it became known the funding would not be available.

Consequently, highway realignments or alternatives were no longer being considered.

Trec worked regularly with iwi/hapū to protect the highway from the river.

Bayley said the focus was on designs to stabilise slopes, repair river and road edges and upgrade culverts and drainage.

It will be a busy summer roadworks season with Trec Recovery work and NZTA projects.

NZTA maintenance and operations crews no longer part of the Trec alliance would reseal or rebuild 130km of the state highway network.

Bayley said there would be many short-term disruptions on the highways.

Work would be staged to minimise delays, but there would inevitably be some for motorists.

The summer construction “hotspots” will be:

State Highway 35:

• Trec Recovery- Awatere Gully, Rotokautuke Bridge, Jeru Straight, Makarika Valley, Kopuaroa Hill, Ihungia Rd and Whakaari Bluff.
• NZTA work- Busby’s Hill.

State Highway 2

• Trec Recovery – Otoko Hill with crews upgrading drainage and culverts, and stabilising areas around the highway.
• NZTA – Wharerata lookout.
• NZTA maintenance and operations hotspots.

State Highway 35

• Seven road rebuilds from October to January.
• Two teams are working in Wharekahika (Hicks Bay) and working towards Mangatuna.
• Major resealing was planned with most sites between Te Puia Springs and Gisborne.

State Highway 2

• Two road rebuilds north of Gisborne: one near Matawai in mid-November and one near Waihuka in early January.
• Two road rebuilds on State Highway 2 south of Gisborne.
• One road rebuild near Tarewa in late November and one near Bartletts in mid-January.

Replying to a question from Councillor Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, Bayley said Trec had a Key Performance Indicator of having more than 30 or 35% of contestable work, mostly performed by local contractors.

“We are sitting at around 80%.”

Councillor Larry Foster said the TRC Alliance had been very successful.

“The highways are in great shape.”