SH2 Waioweka Gorge road closed next week

State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge will be closed between 10am and 6pm daily on Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 of February to complete maintenance work.

Due to the recent poor weather this work had been postponed, and this is the final push to finish the work to repair and asphalt SH2.

Closure points and details:

Soft Closures: The soft closure points are Kerei Street, Matawai and Warrington Road, Ōpōtiki.
Access for businesses and residents will be maintained at both ends of the affected area, up to the hard closure points.

The soft closure times are 9.40am and 5.40pm – enabling people to get through the site before the hard closure starts at 10am and reach the site before it reopens at 6pm.

Hard Closures: 2 hard closure points will be in the Gorge, closer to the actual road works. There will be no access through the site between 10am and 6pm each workday

Upcoming work on SH2:

1. Otoko Hill tree removal, drainage and culvert work deferred

Late-Feb to mid-April – Drainage upgrades and tree felling work planned to take place on Otoko Hill this week, between Hihiroroa Road and Fitzgerald Road have been deferred to late-Feb. Once work is underway, crews will be on-site 8am to 5pm. Stop/go will be in place to safely do this work and delays of up to 15 minutes are expected however this wait time could be longer if a tree is being felled. We encourage you to plan your journey and travel outside of these work hours if possible. Tree removal and trimming is required to further the Otoko Hill works, clear fallen debris and remove the risk they present in weather events. This work will continue through until mid-April.

2. Waimana Gorge 

From Monday 3 to Friday 7 March between 10am and 6pm each day the Waimana Gorge will be closed to allow crews to undertake road resurfacing. Closing the Gorge means the work required can be done safely and efficiently. There will be a detour for light vehicles via White Pine Bush Road, Taneatua Road, Valley Road, right to Ōhope Road to Pohutukawa Ave through to Wainui Road then left to SH2, this will add approximately 12 minutes to your journey. The detour is not suitable for HPMV vehicles, HPMV’s are advised to travel outside of these times.