Highway or the byway - Wairoa waits with hope

“Promises, promises” will be ringing in the ears of Wairoa Mayor Craig Little over the holiday break as he refuses to hold his breath in anticipation of early good news on Government plans for the badly damaged and regularly-closed State Highway 2 through Northern Hawke’s Bay.

He says he will be listening out for something new, like thinking not of “can we afford it?” but “what is the cost of not doing it?”

Having been at a meeting with new Minister of Transport Simeon Brown in mid-December, following the minister’s visit earlier with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell, Little wants to look at how other Governments build roads: “How they do it, and not take 20 years.”

There have so far been no assurances other than the Government being “committed” to safer roads, but Little is prepared to grant some grace.

“I was quite impressed with him,” he said, but he has told the minister “something has to change” and ”if you keep doing things the same way you’ll get the same results.”

It came as no surprise that no assurances had come in response to questions asked of Brown about the 6km Waikare Gorge Realignment project nearing the final planning stages ahead of confirming funding, which government highways management agency NZTA Waka Kotahi says could cost $250 million.

The slip that closed State Highway 2 not far from the temporary Bailey Bridge over the Waikare River north of Putorino earlier this month.

The realignment will bypass Putorino and the site just to the north of the Waikare River bridge that was destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle last February, leading to the closure of the highway for three months until it could be reopened with the temporary instalment of a Bailey Bridge.

NZTA recently told Hawke’s Bay Today the deviation would take three years from the time of the go-ahead.

Hawke’s Bay Today asked what assurances the minister could give that the project will retain its current priority, and be progressed for funding early in the New Year, and contracting for the start of construction later in 2024.

Brown was also asked if he had called for any reviews or reassessment of the Waikare Gorge Realignment project, particularly in relation to cost, and further what steps he had taken since his recent visit to Wairoa towards “progressing (with urgency?)” other assessment or even work under away on State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa.

He replied: “I visited the East Coast, after travelling to Wairoa recently with the Prime Minister and Hon Mark Mitchell, meeting with all local councils and driving SH2 from Napier to Gisborne.

“I have heard first-hand the concerns about rebuilding transport infrastructure in these regions and I have seen the work that needs to be done,” he said.

“I have sought advice from my agencies on the rebuilding task ahead for the East Coast, and I have reiterated to local authorities this Government’s commitment to a safe, efficient and well-maintained transport network.”

Meanwhile, the NZTA says Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance crews will be working on more than 150 maintenance sites in Hawke’s Bay during the summer, but moves are being made to minimise the impact on travelling holidaymakers.

Of them 104 are resealing work on SH2, and work includes chip seal and asphalt road resurfacing to both waterproof the road and provide better grip along with drainage repairs to give the roads a longer life.

All of the state highways in Hawke’s Bay will be having some planned maintenance, and where there are asphalt sites in Napier the works will be done at night to minimise disruption for the community.

The recovery work on the state highways is in addition to the planned maintenance, and includes repairs on Devil’s Elbow, and SH2 slips while longer-term resilience work is considered.

TREC Hawke’s Bay journey manager Andrew Taylor tells motorists: “We want you to get to your friends and whānau safely.”

“Due to the level of activity across the network we highly recommend checking the NZTA Journey Planner before starting your journey,” he said.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including 40 years in breaking news, sports, local events, community issues, and personalities in Hawke’s Bay.