The cyclone-damaged Gwavas Bridge rebuild started last week, ahead of the five-month project build.
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council’s roading response programme has taken another step forward, with repairs to 24 roads and bridges damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle kicking off last week at the Gwavas Bridge site in Tikokino.
The $35.6 million roading response programme, funded 100 per cent by NZ Transport Agency
Waka Kotahi (NZTA), will also see repairs to Wakarara Rd, Old Hill Rd, Flaxmill Bridge and sites on Hautope Rd begin next week. This will be followed by a steady work programme addressing other significant landslides, bridge repairs, and erosion and drainage issues before the end of June.
While the start of construction is welcome news, there is still considerable work ahead for the district, not just addressing investment in repairing damage from the cyclone but across the entire land transport network from weather events in 2022.
Chief executive Doug Tate says, “Last year we focused on getting all of our major roads and routes to be at least accessible to a single lane, often with weight restrictions, following the cyclone. We also completed nearly 3500 simple repairs to our roads funded 100 per cent by NZTA. This included clearing fallen debris and overslips from culverts and roads, repairing scour to roads, and addressing damage to drainage following the cyclone’s considerable rainfall.”
