19 March - Devil’s Elbow asphalting on SH2 to continue for an additional week

As the asphalting draws closer to completion at Devil’s Elbow on State Highway 2, crews will need an additional week of overnight closures. 

The work was expected to be complete by tomorrow (Friday morning) however a temporary issue with the machinery being used has caused delays, as well as lower than required temperatures.

After tonight’s closure, the work will resume on Sunday night (22 March) and finish by next Friday morning (27 March). 

The road will be closed in both directions from 9pm to 5am Sunday to Thursday night (five nights, reopening 5am Friday 27 March). 

During the closures we will continue to open the road at 2.30am each morning for a 30-minute convoy to let traffic in both directions through, something that has been well utilised so far.

We appreciate the disruption this could cause however crews are working hard to get the work done as fast as possible.

6 March – Devil’s Elbow asphalting on SH2 to continue for an additional week

Overnight asphalting at Devil’s Elbow on State Highway 2 will continue for an additional week.

The work was expected to be complete by next Friday morning (13 March), however the recent cold snap in weather hasn’t been conducive to asphalting.

The work will now continue until 5am Friday 20 March. These are the previously communicated contingency dates.

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

During the next two weeks, we will continue to open the road at 2.30am each morning for a 30-minute convoy to let traffic in both directions through, something that has been well utilised so far.

Work has been progressing well and crews are more than halfway through laying the asphalt. Around 500 truckloads (4,500 tonnes) have been used so far, with 400 more truckloads (4000 tonnes) to go.

We appreciate people’s continued support for the overnight closures and hope disruption can be minimised by continuing to operate the nightly convoy.

SH2 Devil's Elbow road closure map.

19 February – Final asphalting on Devil’s Elbow, SH2 all set for Sunday

A reminder that final asphalting work on State Highway 2 Devil’s Elbow will get underway from Sunday 22 February.

The work, being carried out during overnight road closures, was due to begin mid-January. This was postponed when SH2 through Waioweka Gorge further north was closed and this section of road was the detour route.

Now daily convoys through the gorge are in place, the asphalting work is set to take place overnight from Sunday 22 February. It is scheduled to take 3 weeks to 13 March. The road, between Waikoau Hill and Aropaoanui Road at Tangoio, will close between 9pm and 5am (Sunday to Thursday nights).

The road will remain open Friday and Saturday nights.

In the first week (Sunday 22 to Friday 27 February) during the closure, we will be operating 30 minute convoys at 11.30pm and 2.30am to let any traffic through.

The remaining two weeks of closures (Sunday 1 to Friday 13 March) the road will be fully closed (subject to weather) as both lanes will be used.

During these three weeks, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will closely monitor progress on SH2 at Waioweka Gorge. We may need to adjust our schedule at Devil’s Elbow accordingly, for example, if there are closures or changes to convoys through the gorge. We know that when SH2 through Waioweka Gorge is closed, SH2 between Napier and Gisborne is a crucial alternative.

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

People are asked to plan their journeys around the closures. Emergency vehicles will be assisted through the closure as required.

The contingency dates are Sunday 15 until Friday 20 March (5 nights), 9pm to 5am each night.

During the closures in week two and three, 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. This road rebuild work must be completed in the right weather conditions and surface temperatures.

There will be temporary speed restrictions in the area during the day.

Please check Journey Planner before you travel – especially as information could potentially change at short notice.

10 February – Final asphalting on Devil’s Elbow, SH2 all set for later this month

Final asphalting work on State Highway 2 Devil’s Elbow will get underway in just under a fortnight - from Sunday 22 February.

More information(external link)