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)