A stretch of State Highway 2 at Devil’s Elbow north of Napier will be temporarily reduced to 1 lane at night from this week for the installation of a concrete ground beam to support the safety barrier at the side of the road where the ground is unstable.

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, will be working onsite to install the beam, followed by the safety barrier and rumble strips to help keep road users safe.

The short section of road, just north of the main Devil’s Elbow culvert will be down to one lane each night for around 3 weeks between 8pm and 6am.

The lane will be under stop/go traffic light management at night and wait times should be less than five minutes. During the day 2 lanes will be open with a temporary speed limit in place.

Mohaka Rail Viaduct underslip repairs, SH2

Slip repairs are underway at Mohaka Rail Viaduct, the final Cyclone Gabrielle recovery site on SH2 between Pūtōrino and Wairoa. 

TREC, together with local contractors, is stabilising the underslip by installing 50 micropiles and 25 ground anchors. 

The team is working hard to maintain enough road width for large over-dimensional vehicles used in forestry and other industries to keep moving through, while also keeping roadworkers safe.

This narrow and steep site is currently single lane 24/7 managed under stop/go traffic lights. The delay is approximately 5 minutes. 

Construction is expected to be completed in August 2025.

Māori Gully underslip repairs, SH5

Recovery work on three underslips on State Highway 5 (SH5) at Māori Gully between Glengarry and Te Pōhue is underway. This stretch of SH5 is now under stop/go traffic management with expected delays of five minutes. 

At Māori Gully the road runs narrowly along the top of the Gully with the Pokopoko Stream below. The three slips have made this section of road vulnerable to further erosion and slips, making repairs essential. 

This site is scheduled to be completed in July. Please expect delays during this time and plan your trip to factor these in.

Recovery work has been underway on SH5 for over a year at a number of sites where the team has repaired underslips and improved drainage.  

Further work on three sites on SH5 will start later this year - repairing Tarawera Culvert, pavement repairs at Captain’s Culvert, and underslip repairs at the Eskdale Substation. 

Glencoe Gorge underslip repairs, SH50

Crews are currently building a supporting wall beneath State Highway 50 at Glencoe Gorge west of Hastings.

An underslip that was approximately 15 metres high and 10 metres wide at road level had damaged the existing guardrail and farm fence and was posing a risk to the road above.

Crews dug a track to the bottom of the underslip to remove the slip material. They're now installing a supporting wall using over 500 of the hexagonal blocks. This system, known as Ecoreef, was designed in New Zealand. The blocks are filled and lock together to create a strong structure which builds stability, supports the road, and protects against future erosion.

Work here is expected to be finished in June. Until then the road is down to a single lane with wait times of up to 10 minutes – thanks for your patience and support while workers fix the road.

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 work areas. 

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