As 2026 switches up a gear after the holidays, expect to see more roading crews on our state highways, prioritising recovery work alongside road rebuilds and maintenance work on the East Coast.

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) crews are back at work this week, focussing on the last of the state highway Cyclone Gabrielle recovery work on State Highway 2 (SH2) in Tairāwhiti and State Highway 35 (SH35) up the East Coast as far as Tōrere in the eastern Bay of Plenty. 

SH35 sites underway or starting 

• Rotokautuku (Waiapu) Bridge scour repairs: Work is underway and expected to finish at this site in April. Work will take place between 6am and 6pm with a temporary speed limit of 30km/h on the bridge. 
• Rototahe flood resilience: Work is underway and expected to finish in early 2026. A one-way stop/go is in place during daytime hours between 6am and 6pm. The site is open to 2-lanes outside of these times.  
• Hikuwai Bridge replacement: Work will continue until late 2026. A 30km/h temporary speed limit is in place as well as a 10km/h speed limit over the Bailey bridge. 
• Tōrere slip repairs: Work at this site continues with completion expected in March 2026. A priority give-way traffic management system is currently in place.  
• Mangahauini Gorge recovery: Work is underway at various locations through the gorge until mid-2026, with stop/go controls and temporary speed limits in place.  
• Maraehara underslip: Work is expected to start at this site on 19 January. A one-way traffic management system will be in place while work is underway.

SH2 sites underway  

• Hakanui Straight flood resilience: Work is underway. Two lanes are open, but a new road layout is in place. The new road layout means both directions of traffic will use one side of the road, and reduced speed limits apply for safety. Drivers should expect more changes at this site later this week when another traffic switch is planned.  

Drivers can expect stop/go traffic management and reduced speed limits at various locations on both highways while work is underway. At some sites, drivers may experience delays of 5–10 minutes. 

Around 90% of the recovery work is now complete, with a busy six months ahead as crews aim to finish most of the remaining repairs by mid‑2026. 

Summer, with the warmer, drier weather, is also the best time of the year for road rebuilds and other maintenance work, and if you’re travelling, it’s likely you’ll come across some of the work underway. Please drive to the conditions, and the temporary traffic management in place.

None of this work to improve the resilience of our state highways can happen without the support of drivers, so we’re grateful for the support and patience of everyone using the road.

For more information about TREC’s work, including an interactive map to track progress, go to:

Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC)(external link)