SH5 Napier-Taupo Rd: Waka Kotahi aims for end of March re-opening, open to ‘freight convoy’ next week

A bypass road around a large dropout along SH5 near Glengarry. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says it plans to reopen SH5 Napier-Taupo Rd to the general public by the end of March.

The transport agency says a “freight convoy” will begin using that vital highway from next week as a first step.

“We are expecting to provide access on SH5 to a freight convoy early next week,” Jaclyn Hankin, the Waka Kotahi regional manager maintenance and operations, said on Friday.

“Following this, we will undertake an assessment of the road and how it has performed with the convoy.

“This will determine the timing for opening to the general public. These plans are obviously weather dependent as any further damage to this route would delay plans to reopen.”

Waka Kotahi confirmed, pending weather and further disruptions, they aimed to have that road reopened to the public by the end of March.

The highway has been closed since Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damage to the road network in Hawke’s Bay on February 14.

Motorists wanting to travel north to the likes of Hamilton or Auckland have been taking a lengthy detour through Palmerston North, as they await SH5 to reopen.

Meanwhile, SH2 between Napier and Wairoa is expected to be reopened in about three months, with plenty of repair work still to be done on that highway.

This week, a portion of SH2 between Tangoio and Tūtira had to be closed to residents due to slip and rockfall risks.

“The team will be exploring every opportunity available to restore access between Tūtira and Tangoio to emergency services and local residents as soon as it is possible to do safely,” Hankin said.