SH2 Napier Wairoa: Waikare bridge closures planned, new deck needed

The temporary bridge over the Waikare River on State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa is to be closed for two nights for the replacement of its decking.

The temporary Bridge over the Waikare River in use for the first time in May last year, in a blessing and ceremony marking a major point in the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery - the opening of the highway to Napier-Wairoa traffic for the first time in three months. Photo / NZME

National highways management agency NZTA Waka Kotahi says the Bailey bridge, opened in May last year in place of an 82-year-old bridge that was destroyed in Cyclone Gabrielle three months earlier, will be closed to all traffic on the nights of September 30 and October 1.

The closures will be from 9pm to 5am each night, with no viable detour, and the NZTA promises the work will be completed 5am on October 2.

A statement said Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews will be replacing the existing panels with new ones.

“While the bridge remains structurally sound to drive on, the deck needs replacing – this is scheduled maintenance and it’s not uncommon for Bailey bridges to need this maintenance,” it said.

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“While we appreciate closing the bridge for two nights is inconvenient, the new deck will improve traction, and ultimately safety, for all road users,” said NZTA Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Rua Pani.

“We hope that by closing overnight, we can minimise disruption to daily commuters,”

TREC will take advantage of the low traffic volumes during the closure times and undertake other nightworks on SH2 and at Devil’s Elbow, and NZTA reminds road users to plan ahead.

The announcement of the temporary closure, which is not the first for repairs to the temporary bridge, comes with still no announcements on when or if work on the proposed near-4km Waikare Gorge realignment will start this year, much to the consternation of Wairoa Mayor Craig Little and his district.

An NZTA board meeting is understood to have considered the 2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) on August 22. An NZTA spokesperson said the programme was due to be made public early in September.

The $200 million-plus realignment would bypass both the bridge and nearby Napier-Wairoa road hallway-point Putorino.