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Wellington/Wairarapa regional state highway status and weather update (SH2 Remutaka Hill OPEN)

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi | 22 Apr 2026 6:40am | Wellington

UPDATE Wednesday 22 April - 6:30am:

Temporary repairs to a washout on State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill have been completed and the route is now open to traffic.

The highway, at Bridge 2 on the Featherston side of the hill, suffered scour damage and was severely undercut by flooding during this week’s storm. 

Contractors have worked through the night to repair and rebuild the approach to the bridge with work completed shortly before 6:20 am today.

While the Remutaka Hill is open, river levels in the Ruamahanga River remain high and State Highway 53 is still closed near Martinborough at the Waihenga Bridge.

Current closures

SH53, CLOSED at the Waihenga Bridge (SWDC local road information(external link))

Wellington region highway conditions(external link)

UPDATE Tuesday 21 April - 7:30am:

State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill has been closed due to a washout. Flood and scour damage has affected Bridge 2 on the Featherston side of the hill.

Contractors are attending and assessments of the damage are underway. 

The highway will remain closed until further notice. However, it is a critical route, and every effort will be made to reopen it as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Drivers are asked to delay their travel and avoid the area. Those who must travel between Wellington and Wairarapa should detour via State Highway 3 Te Ahu a Turanga. This is a significantly longer route and requires extra travel time.

Current closures

More Information

UPDATE Tuesday 6am:

Highways and bridges previously closed by flooding have reopened overnight.

State Highway 2 Masterton, East Taratahi Road to Cornwall Road reopened shortly before 2am.

Both the Melling and Kennedy Good Bridges in Lower Hutt reopened shortly after 3am.

State Highway 58, Haywards Interchange to Pāuatahanui, opened just before 4am.

Current closures

Wairarapa

  • SH53, CLOSED at the Waihenga Bridge (SWDC local road information here)
  • Detour
    • Traffic travelling south on State Highway 2 from Clareville, turn left onto Hughes Line, right onto Francis Line, right onto Carters Line, left onto Gladstone Road, right onto Longbush Road, right onto Hinakura Road, continuing onto Todds Road, then finally right onto Oxford Street towards Martinborough. Reverse for northbound traffic.
    • Please allow 25–35 minutes travel time when following the detour route.

All other state highways in the Wellington/Wairarapa region are currently open. However, MetService weather warnings remain in place, and heavy rain and strong winds continue to affect the area.

Extreme care is needed on all roads while the bad weather continues. Road users must drive to the conditions and should check road and weather conditions before they travel.

UPDATE Monday 10:55pm:

State Highway 53 is now closed at the Waihenga Bridge near Martinborough. This is due to rising water levels in the Ruamahanga River.

Local roads are also expected to be closed by flooding, meaning all road access to Martinborough is expected to be cut. More information on local road impacts can be found the South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC) website:

South Wairarapa District Council severe weather updates(external link)

Ongoing travel disruption and delays can be expected on this route as it may take some time for river levels to fall and flood debris to be cleared before the highway can reopen.

Current closures

Wairarapa

Wellington

  • SH58, CLOSED between the State Highway 2 Haywards Interchange and Pāuatahanui
  • Kennedy Good and Melling Bridges CLOSED (HCC information(external link))

UPDATE 10:20pm:

Further state highways are closed in the lower North Island tonight as bad weather and heavy rain continues to affect the region.

Flooding has closed State Highway 58 between the State Highway 2 Haywards interchange and Pāuatahanui.

People are urged to stay off the roads and avoid all non-essential travel until weather conditions ease. Red level MetService weather warnings are set to continue to apply for Wellington and Wairarapa until tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

Current closures

Wairarapa

SH2 Masterton, CLOSED to northbound traffic between East Taratahi Road and Cornwall Road (open to southbound traffic)

Wellington

7:20 pm:

Heavy rain is affecting State Highway 2 in Wairarapa with a flood closure now in place just south of Masterton.

The highway is closed to northbound traffic between East Taratahi Road and Cornwall Road. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and detour via local roads.

Surface flooding is also affecting the State Highway 2 further south near Clareville. Drivers must use caution when travelling through this area.

Meanwhile in Lower Hutt, people travelling on State Highway 2 intending to access the city centre need to be prepared for closures of bridges across the Hutt River. 

More details about this can be found on the Hutt City Council website:

HCC severe weather updates(external link)

General travel and safety advice

  • The MetService has issued red level Heavy Rain Warnings and Strong Wind Watches for the region - a regional state of emergency has also been declared. People are urged to stay off the roads and avoid all unnecessary travel.
  • Drivers must also follow all traffic management and road closures. They are there to keep everyone safe.
  • Never drive through floodwaters. Currents may be stronger than they appear and floodwater may hide hidden dangers.
  • Driving in bad weather(external link)