One of the last SH2 south recovery jobs starts

Trec crews have been working on a large retaining wall job at the White Pine underslip on SH2 south between Wairoa and Napier since March this year and the job is expected to be finished before Christmas.

Work has started on one of the last recovery projects in the White Pine Bush area on State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa.

Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec) alliance crews, on behalf of New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, have been working to restore access through the area after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Crews have started work just south of White Pine Bush above Tangoio Falls Reserve.

“During the next few weeks, crews will be stabilising sections of the retaining walls with ground anchors and shotcrete,” an NZTA spokesman said.

“Much of this work will be done by workers abseiling, using the guardrails to abseil down to the site beneath the road. This site will be down to a single lane under a short stop/go until the work is finished, with the aim to have it back to two lanes for this Christmas.”

Crews have been working at a large retaining wall job at the White Pine underslip since March this year.

“This new wall consists of 220 ground anchors and will be sprayed with concrete once testing is completed. This is expected to be finished before Christmas this year.”

Two-lane access was recently restored at another site, just north of the White Pine Bush carpark entrance.

Trec Hawke’s Bay project manager Chris Mahoney said work through the White Pine Bush section meant this stretch of road was still down to one-lane.

“We know it’s frustrating seeing those traffic lights and having to wait, and we know it’s been a frustrating time on this stretch of road since the cyclone.

“We want to reassure people we are working to restore two-lane access as quickly as possible through this area of State Highway 2.”