Overnight closures from tomorrow night at Devil’s Elbow on State Highway 2 north of Napier have now been postponed. 

The 4.5 km section of SH2 between Wairoa and Napier was to close nightly from tomorrow night for the next 3 weeks between Waikoau Hill and Aropaoanui Road at Tangoio for final asphalting.

Following the heavy rain and flooding, which has closed Waioweka Gorge on SH2 north of Gisborne, a decision has been made to postpone the scheduled Devil’s Elbow closures.

As a result, this section of road will be OPEN as normal from tomorrow night.

This section of road is expected to be used as a longer detour option for those travelling from Bay of Plenty down to Taupō and back up to Gisborne.

We know people have been planning for the closure and adjusting their travel plans accordingly and we appreciate the postponement will be frustrating.

At this stage, a new date for the work has not been set. We will communicate this as soon as possible.

6 January update: Upcoming work for Devil's Elbow and SH38

SH2

A reminder that a stretch of State Highway 2 at Devil’s Elbow will be closing overnight in just under a fortnight 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 next Sunday (18 January) on SH2 between Waikoau Hill and Aropaoanui Road at Tangoio. The work is expected to be complete by Thursday 5 February.

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 each day). The road will remain open Friday and Saturday nights.

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.

During this work, 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.

Media release: Culvert repairs, replacements and road rebuilds the ‘final push’ on SH2 at Devil’s Elbow(external link)

SH38

Further north, on State Highway 38, work has resumed on underslip repairs, which will restore the road to its original width, improving long-term resilience and keeping communities connected.

The road will close from 8pm until 6am Sunday night to Saturday morning (6 nights a week). It will be open from 6am each day and on Saturday nights.

The road will be closed between Lake Waikaremoana Holiday Park and Tuai.

The essential Cyclone Gabrielle recovery work began in December and was paused for the Christmas break before resuming this week.

The road will be open for Auckland anniversary weekend 24-26 January (which is shared by Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty).

Upcoming SH38 daytime closures: March to June

From Monday 2 March to Friday 5 June, work will move from nights to daytime.

The road will be open before 8am and after 5pm and from 12pm til 1pm Monday to Saturday so traffic can pass through. It will be fully open on Sundays.

During the closures, there will be no viable detours.

Traffic bulletin: Overnight closures ahead for SH38 to complete underslip recovery work