Weather window for road reinstatement

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

Road contractors have a two-day window to make progress on reinstatement work needed on many rural roads in the wake of last week's bout of heavy rain.

Fine weather today and tomorrow will assist them, but then rain returns on Wednesday from the south-east.

The MetService forecast today also indicates a few showers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and rain again from the south-east on Sunday.

Gisborne District Council director of lifelines David Wilson last week called for patience from the rural community when it came to road repairs.

“Work will be carried out when the weather improves,” he said.

“The council's focus has been to reopen roads to residents who were cut off and to allow access for heavy freight to support our rural communities.”

Roading contractors were out again this morning.

The cost of this latest round of road reinstatement sits at more than $3.6 million.

As of this morning, the council website listed nine rural roads as being “closed” — Poroporo Road at the 10-kilometre mark, Whareponga Road at 10km, McIlroy at the ford, Tuparoa at 6km, Waikura 18km, the whole of Kopuapounamu Road, Bruce Road at Kanakanaia 4km, Kaiaua 5km and Tarewa Road, which is closed indefinitely.

In addition, there were 19 roads open only to four-wheel drive vehicles and some of those for local residents only — Kopuapounamu Road from 7km, Beach Road (whole road), Tikapa (whole road), Waiomatatini 2-16km, Kakariki (whole road), Cross 1km, Karakatuwhero from 1km, Anaura from SH35/Anaura Bay intersection, Shortcut Road (whole road), East Cape Road from start of road, Matahiia 6km, Potikirua 1.5km, Mangatu 4.4km, Paritu (entire), Paparatu from Waingake intersection, Bushy Knoll 0-29.5km, Whareponga 6.5km, Waikawa (entire) and Ihungia 3.3km.

In the past eight months the district has had four major weather events which have caused $28m of damage to the roading network.