A reminder from this Sunday (16 November) a stretch of State Highway 2 at Devil’s Elbow will close overnight for culvert repairs.

NZTA media release - 1 October(external link)

The work will be carried out nightly, over a 3-week period, from Sunday 16 November to Friday 5 December, on SH2 between Waikoau Hill and Aropaoanui Road at Tangoio.

The road will be closed in both directions during that time from 9pm to 5am Sunday to Thursday nights (five nights each week, reopening 5am Friday). The road will remain open Friday and Saturday nights.

There will be no viable detours, and people are asked to plan their journeys around the closures.

Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the closure as required.

There will be road closure signs at Tutira Store north of the closure and at Whirinaki. Vehicles, including HPMV, will be able to turnaround at the closure points at Pan Pac Whirinaki (Napier side) and Mitchell Road (Wairoa side). 

This work is contingent on the weather. Contingency nights are Sunday 7 December to Thursday 11 December (5 nights), 9pm to 5am each night if needed.

The work

During the closure period, work will be carried out to replace approximately 10 culverts and repair others to help better manage stormwater runoff.   Crews will also undertake road rebuilds at Tangoio Falls and Te Ngarue.

Full closures are required because crews and machinery will be working across both lanes of the road to complete resilience works and rebuilds. The narrow nature of this section of highway means traffic can’t safely travel around these worksites. By doing this work at night, we can minimise the disruption as much as possible.

Crews will return in January (between 18 and 30 January), once the culvert repairs have settled, to rebuild a 4.5km stretch of SH2 through Devil’s Elbow. Asphalting this area will be the final piece of the puzzle, providing a smoother road for travellers and a more resilient road too.

More information on the January closures will be communicated closer to the time. The contingency nights for the January closures are Sunday 1 February to Wednesday 4 February (4 nights), 9pm to 5am each night.