Plan ahead for daytime closures on SH2 Waioweka Gorge next month

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Road users are advised to plan ahead for a series of daytime closures on State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge from Tuesday 11 February.

The road will be closed from Kerei Street, Matawai, and Warrington Road, Ōpōtiki, between the hours of 10am and 6pm from Tuesday 11 February to Friday 14 February enabling contractors to safely replace the road surface at 2 corners within the Waioweka Gorge with asphalt.  

On Monday 10 February, the road will be open with stop/go and a reduced speed limit in place between 8am and 5pm allowing crews to dig up the existing road in preparation for the asphalt layer.  

Bay of Plenty System Manager Sandra King says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) recognises the significance of SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge, particularly for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region.  

“This section of SH2 has a critical function with no convenient detour route. It’s the key connection for Gisborne and the surrounding Tairāwhiti region to the Bay of Plenty and beyond.  

“We understand this work will cause inconvenience, and we don’t take planning road closures lightly. In this instance, by closing the Waioweka Gorge for 8 hours a day, we’re able to complete this essential work more efficiently and safely, improving safety and resilience through the area. 

“Our state highway network is key to New Zealanders’ ability to travel throughout the country, and this work is necessary to ensure the road is safe and accessible for everyone who travels on it. 

“The road width through the Gorge is narrow, and the confined space makes it challenging to allow road users past the machinery needed to complete the road works. The safety of road users, the community and our teams is incredibly important to us.  

“Careful consideration has been made in determining the timing for this work and the impacts to freight, industry, tourism and the wider community. This work needs to be completed this summer, under the right temperature and dry weather conditions. If not, ongoing maintenance work will be needed, resulting in more significant disruption.”  

Ms King says NZTA is making the most of the closures by getting all scheduled Gorge works for this construction season completed at the same time. This includes other pavement repairs, clearing drains and sign repairs. 

“The Bay of Plenty/Tairāwhiti regions are seeing a significant portion of the increase in investment in state highway maintenance and resilience. 

“The summer renewal season is one of the most disruptive in recent memory due to the volume of rebuilding taking place. To complete the work within the available time, traffic management such as full or partial road closures are being used to enable work to be completed more efficiently.” 

Ms King advises those looking to travel through the Gorge before or after the closure times will need to plan ahead as well. 

“It’s nearly a 30-minute drive from Ōpōtiki to the closure site and approximately 35 minutes from Matawai. We encourage people to factor this in when looking to get through before or after the closure times as there will be no openings once it’s closed,” Ms King says. 

Access for emergency services will be maintained throughout the works. 

As this work is weather dependent, NZTA has scheduled 3 contingency days between Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 February. Road users are advised to check the NZTA Journey Planner on the day of travel for up-to-date information about the closures. 

Journey Planner(external link)

This work forms part of the government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance across 2024-27 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.  

NZTA thanks everyone for their patience and understanding as we undertake these important works. 

MIL OSI