UPDATE 19 May:

The closure for these works has been further extended due to the extent of soft ground conditions through this section of the highway.

State Highway 2 at Clareville will remain closed to southbound traffic until 5 pm tomorrow (Wednesday). Drivers will need to use the southbound detour tonight as well. 

It will also close on Thursday, 21 and Friday, 22 May, between 5 am and 5 pm as planned. 

NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thanks drivers for their patience and understanding as contractors continue these road rebuild works.

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UPDATE 18 May:

A daytime southbound closure of State Highway 2 is to be extended, with the closure to remain in place tonight. 

Contractors working on the rebuild of the southbound lanes at State Highway 2 Clareville have discovered softer ground conditions than anticipated in the road. It means a deeper excavation and road rebuild is needed. This will take extra time to complete.

It means the current day time (5 am to 5 pm) southbound closure will remain in place tonight and through until 5 pm tomorrow evening (Tuesday). A further night closure may also be required if further excavation is required. 

Southbound traffic travelling between Masterton and Clareville will have to continue to use the existing detour tonight. Drivers must allow extra time for their journeys and drive with care on local roads (Hughes Line and East Taratahi Road).

Last week crews completed work in the northbound lane, and this week the southbound lane is being worked on. 

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29 April - UPDATE: Road rebuild State Highway 2 Clareville begins soon

Recent bad weather has seen the start date for these works pushed back by a week. They will now begin on Sunday, 10 May - not Monday, 4 May as previously scheduled.

The road rebuild site will be established on Sunday night (10 May) with a full night-time closure between 9 pm and 5 am. Road crews will lower part of the median wire rope barrier and complete general maintenance, such as signage and street light replacements, and clearing vegetation.

From Monday morning (11 May) at 5 am, road rebuild works begin in Work Area 1 (see schedule and detour map below). This will require road closures Monday to Friday, between 5 am and 5 pm for two weeks, weather permitting.

Following this, contractors will move to the Hughes Line Intersection (Work Area 2 in map below), which will require stop/go works at night. Updated schedules for these works will be provided closer to the time.

These works are weather-dependent, and schedules may change at short notice. Drivers are encouraged to check road conditions before they travel.

Updated work schedule

Work area 1

• Sunday, 10 May. 9 pm – 5 am (Monday)
  • SH2 CLOSED in both directions between Hughes Line and East Taratahi Road.
  • All traffic must detour via Hughes Line

• Monday, 11 May. Monday to Friday, 5 am – 5 pm (ongoing until approximately the third week of May)
  • SH2 CLOSED to southbound traffic
  • Southbound traffic must detour via Hughes Line
  • The highway will remain OPEN for northbound traffic

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22 April - REMINDER: Road rebuild State Highway 2 Clareville begins early May

Investment into improvements for State Highway 2 in Wairarapa continue, with a road rebuild at Clareville due to start from Monday, 4 May until end of May.

It follows the completion of similar work in Carterton in March.

Contractors will be rebuilding the highway, just north of the Hughes Line intersection. 

Here the road pavement has reached the end of its working life and needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. This will make the drive between Carterton and Masterton noticeably better, as it will be much smoother and safer to drive over.

A southbound road closure will be in place Monday to Friday between 7am and 7pm until approximately mid-May. 

Then, a night-time stop/go will be in place Sunday to Thursday nights between 8pm and 4:30am until the works are complete. An updated schedule will be shared when exact timings are confirmed. 

The southbound detour will be via East Taratahi Road and Hughes Line. Drivers will need to allow for extra travel time while the road rebuild is underway.

Contractors will excavate to around 170mm and build it up again with layers of structural asphalt. The result will be a new section of highway with a foundation that will last for 25 years and a new road surface that is expected to last 10 to 12 years. It will also have improved skid resistance. 

This means it will require much less ongoing maintenance over the coming years and will provide a safer and more durable highway for drivers. 

The work is weather dependent. Road rebuilds require dry weather to be completed successfully. While extra time has been factored in to account for wet weather, schedules may change. Regular updates will be provided to keep the community informed.

Works schedule and detour

• Work area 1: Monday, 4 May, to approximately mid-May.
  • SH2 CLOSED to southbound traffic with a detour via East Taratahi and Hughes Line while work is underway in area 1 (see map below)
  • The closures will be in place Monday to Friday between 7 am and 7 pm. A temporary speed limit will be in place at all other times
  • The highway will remain OPEN to northbound traffic under a 30 km/h temporary speed limit.
     
• Work area 2: Mid-May to approximately end of May
  • SH2 and Hughes Line will have stop/go traffic management at night between 8 pm and 4:30 am when work is underway in area 2 (see map below)
  • Hughes Line access to SH2 will also be closed at times while work is underway in the southbound lane.

Journey planner - Area warning - SH2 Clareville(external link)