A reminder that a stretch of State Highway 2 at Devil’s Elbow will be closed overnight in January and early February for final asphalting.

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

The work will be carried out nightly, over a 3-week period, from Sunday 18 January to Thursday 5 February, 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 on Fridays). The road will remain open Friday and Saturday night.

There are no viable detours, and people are asked to plan their journeys around the closures. Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the closure as required.

We know there have been a number of overnight closures through the area in the past few weeks and it is disruptive. But a full closure means the work will be completed much faster. Thank you for your ongoing patience.

During the work in January and February, 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.

There will be temporary speed restrictions in the area during the day of 30km/h across both lanes.

Progress to date

Since mid-2023 the Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) alliance has delivered 11 recovery projects at Devil’s Elbow including significant underslip repairs at multiple sites. This includes work at Devil’s Corner to build a 12 metre wall that protects the road and restores two-lane traffic. 

A resilience programme of culvert replacement and repairs has recently been completed to help keep stormwater off the road.  

The final push is on to get this area completed and permanently back to 2 lanes before Christmas.