$259 million is forecast to be invested in Tairāwhiti – Gisborne’s land transport system during the 2021–24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) period. This will help Gisborne’s economy to grow and people to access essential health, education and employment opportunities. Improved access and resilience of the road network will also be supported.
Tairāwhiti – Gisborne NLTP 2023 update
Four months after the original bridge was destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle, the first vehicles have now travelled across the temporary Bailey bridge.
An official ceremony involving community leaders, and including a blessing by Ngāti Porou of the 85-metre-long bridge, was held in June.
Drone vision of the SH35 Bailey bridge across the Hikuwai River(external link)
State Highway 2 between Waikare Gorge and Napier suffered extensive damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. While contractors continue to progress repairs, please leave an additional half hour for your journey to and from Napier to account for the delays from road works. The road is open 24/7.
The damage to State Highway 35 following the March and April weather events is extensive and the long-term recovery plan is currently being worked through. The priority is to maintain access to communities living along the route, recognising that all who work and live on the coast rely on this roading connection as an important lifeline. A long-term construction plan to address the repair work necessary along SH35 is currently being worked through.
$32.5m in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)/National Land Transport Programme is being spent on passing opportunities on SH2 and SH35 in Gisborne and Northern Hawkes Bay regions. We are on track to deliver 21 sites, a mix of new slow vehicle bays, extensions to existing slow vehicle bays and mobile phone laybys. This project is being delivered through the Taiāwhiti Roading Package (TRP).
SH2/SH35 passing opportunities
$13.5m of PGF funding is being spent on addressing the highest risk resilience sites on the Gisborne side of SH35.
The preferred solutions to improve safety and resilience through Waioeka Gorge will be recommended in a single stage business case in mid-late 2022.
SH2 Waioeka Gorge – resilience and safety
In partnership with the Gisborne District Council, an extensive programme of asphalt replacement was undertaken in Gisborne. The work was at multiple sites overnight in the city and on SH35. A major component of this work is the resurfacing and replacing of deck joints on the Gladstone Road Bridge.
A key bridge strengthening project on State Highway 2 through the Waioeka Gorge has been completed months ahead of schedule and under budget. This work was part of a wider programme designed to enable more efficient freight movements, increasing the load bearing capacity of six bridges between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki to bring them up to High Productivity Motor Vehicle (HPMV) standard.
Maintenance summary infographic for Gisborne 2022/23 [PDF, 763 KB]
Planned maintenance infographic for Gisborne 2023/24 [PDF, 1 MB]
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency sought feedback on its speed management plan for state highways. Submissions closed on 12 December 2022.
The plan is now undergoing the certification process with a newly formed Speed Management Committee, which provide an independent review of Waka Kotahi speed management plans and advise the Director of Land Transport.
Once a decision has been made by the Director, which we anticipate will happen later this year, we will publish it on our website. We will also inform all partners, stakeholders, and submitters that requested an email update of the outcome.
