Update 3:15pm

The State Highway 2 closure south of Gisborne has now been extended to Wairoa, due to more fallen trees – the closure now extends from Muriwai to Wairoa.

SH2 Wairoa to Napier remains open.

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New road closures have been put in place on State Highways 2 and 35 north and south of Gisborne.

Large trees have fallen over the road on SH2 between Wairoa and Gisborne, in addition to trees down on SH35 and SH2 north of Gisborne.

As of 3pm

SH2 between Wairoa and Muriwai is CLOSED

SH2 between Ormond and north of Waioweka Gorge is CLOSED

SH35 between Ōpōtiki to Okitu, just north of Gisborne is CLOSED

SH50 Breakwater Road between the intersection with Hardinge Road and Coote Road is CLOSED, due to the risk of rockfall from Bluff Hill

These closures will remain in place until at least 8 o’clock tomorrow morning following an engineering assessment.

Crews monitoring the network had been hoping to clear trees as quickly as possible however conditions are not conducive to working safely.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is getting reports of more trees falling, along with power lines in some areas causing concern.

In all areas of the regions, please avoid unnecessary travel if you can or, if you do need to travel, take your time, be careful and drive to the conditions.

With wind warnings in place, usual road closure signage may be too dangerous to install in some areas. Motorists should look out for a contractor's vehicle blocking the road or other visible indicators that signal a road closure. 

9:40am Sunday

Crews working on State Highway 35 have now cleared a fallen tree from the road between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay.

The road has now reopened near the intersection with Anaura Road.

Further north, SH35 remains closed between Wharekahika/Hicks Bay and Te Araroa.

Please be extra careful and drive to the conditions wherever you are in the region today and be alert for flooding, slips, fallen trees or fallen power lines.

Crews are monitoring the network and if you come across any issues, please report them via 0800 4 HIGHWAYS.

7:30am Sunday

A large tree has fallen halfway between Tologa Bay and Tokomaru Bay, blocking that stretch of State Highway 35 near the intersection with Anaura Road.

The tree fell early this morning amidst strong winds and has blocked both lanes.  Crews are onsite and others en route to clear the tree.

In the meantime, this stretch of SH35 is closed. Further north, SH35 remains closed between Wharekahika/Hicks Bay and Te Araroa.

Please be extra careful when driving today and be alert for any flooding, more slips and fallen trees.

We will provide a further update when the fallen tree has been cleared.

4:20pm Saturday

A reminder that from tonight (Saturday) a stretch of State Highway 35 and a stretch of SH2 through Waioweka Gorge will both be closing in anticipation of the heavy rainfall and strong winds forecast from Cyclone Vaianu.

SH35 between Wharekahika/Hicks Bay and Te Araroa will close pre-emptively from 6:30pm today, while SH2 at Waioweka Gorge will close pre-emptively from 6pm today.

 

SH35 between Te Araroa and Pōtaka remains fragile and unstable following the initial damage caused by severe weather in January. This proactive closure is based on the likelihood that the rainfall and wind speeds are expected to exceed pre-determined safety thresholds at Punaruku slip between Hicks Bay and Te Araroa.  

 

This stretch of SH35 will remain closed throughout tomorrow and will only reopen when safe to do so following an engineering assessment on Monday. SH2 at Waioweka Gorge will also remain closed throughout tomorrow until 10am on Monday at the earliest.

 

Please avoid the area during the closures and avoid any unnecessary travel. If you do need to travel, please take care driving, know your limitations on and off road and be ready for the possibility of flooding, slips and debris and other short-notice closures.

 

The same message applies if you’re travelling further south on the East Coast and into the Wairoa District and Hawke’s Bay – stay safe on the road, drive with caution, be alert to the possibility of flooding, slips and debris, along with the possibility of downed power lines.

 

Contractors are continuing preparing for the expected weather, by clearing drains and culverts. We will be carrying out daily patrols, ready to respond if required. 

We’ll keep state highways open for as long as it’s safe to travel, but be prepared for us to close affected state highways if your safety or our roadworkers safety is at risk. Safety is our top priority. 

Please follow the advice of Tairāwhiti Civil Defence and emergency services and keep up to date with the latest information on preparing for the cyclone at the Tairāwhiti Civil Defence Facebook page(external link) and website(external link). 

If you’re in Hawke’s Bay, please keep up to date with the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Facebook page.(external link)