A reminder that final asphalting work on State Highway 2 Devil’s Elbow will get underway from Sunday 22 February.

The work, being carried out during overnight road closures, was due to begin mid-January. This was postponed when SH2 through Waioweka Gorge further north was closed and this section of road was the detour route.

Now daily convoys through the gorge are in place, the asphalting work is set to take place overnight from Sunday 22 February. It is scheduled to take 3 weeks to 13 March. The road, between Waikoau Hill and Aropaoanui Road at Tangoio, will close between 9pm and 5am (Sunday to Thursday nights).

The road will remain open Friday and Saturday nights.

In the first week (Sunday 22 to Friday 27 February) during the closure, we will be operating 30 minute convoys at 11.30pm and 2.30am to let any traffic through.

The remaining two weeks of closures (Sunday 1 to Friday 13 March) the road will be fully closed (subject to weather) as both lanes will be used.

During these three weeks, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will closely monitor progress on SH2 at Waioweka Gorge. We may need to adjust our schedule at Devil’s Elbow accordingly, for example, if there are closures or changes to convoys through the gorge. We know that when SH2 through Waioweka Gorge is closed, SH2 between Napier and Gisborne is a crucial alternative.

The 4.5 km section of SH2 between Wairoa and Napier will be the final job in the area after more than 2 years of Cyclone Gabrielle recovery work.

People are asked to plan their journeys around the closures. Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the closure as required.

The contingency dates are Sunday 15 until Friday 20 March (5 nights), 9pm to 5am each night.

During the closures in week two and three, crews and machinery will be working across both lanes, with two asphalt pavers operating side-by-side from the north to the south, laying approximately 3,000 tonnes of asphalt during this closure. This road rebuild work must be completed in the right weather conditions and surface temperatures.

There will be temporary speed restrictions in the area during the day.

Please check Journey Planner before you travel – especially as information could potentially change at short notice.