A combination of large rocks, rock bags and gabion baskets will be used to protect State Highway 35 from erosion at Uawa River.

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC), on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, will begin erosion protection work at the site, about 2km north of Tolaga Bay, on Monday 9th of March to repair scour damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Five sites along a 500m stretch on the eastern side of the river, closest to the state highway, have been affected and require erosion protection work to help protect the riverbank from future damage. 

Works will be scheduled around tidal conditions and begin at low tide to ensure safe and suitable working conditions.

During the first two weeks from Monday 9 March, work will be carried out at low tide between 4.30am and 4.30pm. The remainder of the work from mid-March and through April will be carried out between 6.30am and 6.30pm.

While work is underway, traffic will be managed as one site, under one way stop/go traffic management with traffic lights will be in place. Road users should expect delays of up to 5 minutes during working hours.

Please follow the temporary speed limits and traffic management in place so our crews and road users can stay safe.

About the work

These works will include the placement of rock bags and brush willows, installation of gabion baskets (rock-filled cages), and placement of rip rap (large rocks).

Rock bags are netted bags 2.4m in diameter and 0.6m high, filled with rocks sourced from a local quarry.

Brush layered willows are live willow cuttings typically 1 – 3m long and installed so the cut end faces the river and the branches extend back into the bank to root and sprout, growing into a living reinforcement system.

For more information about TREC’s work, including an interactive map to track progress, visit the TREC project page:

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC)(external link)

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