State Highway 2 (SH2) north of Gisborne will be busy over the coming weeks, with several recovery projects either ramping up or getting underway.   

Some sections of the highway will be down to one lane, with stop/go traffic management in place. Motorists are urged to plan ahead and expect short delays when travelling through the worksites.

SH2 at Matawai Road

Matawai Road, just north of Ormond in Gisborne, will be reduced to 1 lane from next week to allow crews to repair a slip.

Starting Tuesday (23 April) Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, will begin work at the site, where loose debris above SH2 needs to be removed to prevent it falling onto the highway.

Stop/go traffic management and a lane closure will be in place during the repair, which is expected to take 3 weeks, weather permitting. Two days of tree removal will take place before main works begin. Crews will work between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Underlip repairs at Rakauroa, near the Matawai Road site, which got underway earlier this year, are progressing well. Work involves constructing an anchored shotcrete (sprayed concrete) wall and is expected to be complete in mid-June. This site remains under stop/go.

SH2 Otoko Hill update

TREC crews continue to make steady progress on 3 key sites along Otoko Hill.

Repairs to a major underslip, which has been a focus since last year, are nearing completion.

Current activity is concentrated on finishing repairs to an existing retaining wall and installing drainage systems between Hihiroroa Road and Fitzgerald Road.

Recently completed vegetation clearance in this area has allowed crews to begin drainage work at the retaining wall site, moving the activity slightly further from the road.

As a result, traffic management in this area has been scaled back, reducing disruptions for road users. Work at these two sites is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

Recovery work south of Gisborne

A stretch of SH2 at Morere, north of Wairoa, will be under stop/go traffic management from later this month for resealing.

Crews are currently preparing to repair and reseal this section of the road, following the installation of extensive drainage systems in the area. 

The new drainage is improving road stability by redirecting water away from the highway and reducing water pressure on the surrounding hills - addressing previous challenges with road movement in the area.

The resealing and repair work will take place between 6am and 6pm Monday to Friday between 28 April and 1 May.

Temporary speed limits will be in place and road users should expect delays of between 5 and 10 minutes. 

Thank you

Thank you to all road users for your continued support and patience while the recovery work continues.

Motorists are urged to slow down, stay alert and drive to the conditions through these areas of SH2.

Our local crews are there to keep everyone safe while travelling through the sites – please adhere to the temporary speeds and any instructions onsite.

Most recovery projects are expected to be complete by July 2025 and we will transition from smaller recovery works into larger projects at Mangahauini Gorge, Hikuwai Bridge No.1 replacement (in construction), Rototahe and Nesbitt's Dip.