Cyclone Gabrielle recovery: Redclyffe Bridge reopens, providing ‘big relief’ between Napier-Hastings

The Redclyffe Bridge has reopened near Taradale, providing a third route between twin cities Napier and Hastings.

The bridge was destroyed by raging floodwaters during Cyclone Gabrielle in February and has taken six months to repair.

It reopened as a temporary bridge on Tuesday morning amid plenty of honks and cheers.

The progress has reconnected communities like Waiohiki with Napier and motorists are hopeful it will also provide “a big relief” to the nearby SH2 Hawke’s Bay Expressway.

The bridge has reopened with a 30km/h speed limit and is only open to light vehicles (up to eight tonnes) at this stage.

Napier residents and sisters Mari Baker and Mandi Eden were among the first to drive over the bridge and said it was great to see it reopen.

Sisters Mari Baker (left) and Mandi Eden were among the first to drive over the reopened bridge. Photo / Paul Taylor

“It will be a big relief for the motorway,” Eden said. “It also means the whānau here get to use the bridge again at Waiohiki.”

The sisters grew up in Waiohiki and used to walk the bridge frequently as kids.

Eden said it had been “devastating” to see it washed away in February.

The reopened bridge which connects Taradale and Waiohiki. Photo / Paul Taylor

Funding has been secured from the Government to build a new Redclyffe Bridge in the future.

Since the February cyclone, traffic between Napier and Hastings has been extremely slow at peak times, due to there being only two surviving routes between the cities - State Highways 2 and 51.

Other routes have been impacted by washed-out bridges.

Waiohiki resident Tina Chamberlain was the first to cross the bridge in her car from the Taradale side back to Waiohiki.

Arunthy Pavan, from Taradale, walks over the reopened Redclyffe Bridge on Tuesday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Chamberlain said it was a great result for the Waiohiki community, who had been recovering from the February floods and had been cut off from Napier across the Tūtaekurī River.

She said a community gathering, including both mayors, met down at the bridge before dawn on Tuesday for a karakia and walkover, which was special.

Firefighters were also down in the area, close by on Waiohiki Rd, on Tuesday morning around 5.30am extinguishing a small scrub fire.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.