SH2 Waioweka Gorge daily closures extended NZ Transport ...

Due to the poor weather outlook, the advertised dates of the closure of State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge next week to complete maintenance work, have been postponed.

14 February update: CLOSURE OF SH2 WAIOWEKA GORGE POSTPONED

Due to the poor weather outlook, the advertised dates of the closure of State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge next week to complete maintenance work, have been postponed.

Work will now take place the following week, with a full road closure required between 10am and 6pm daily on 24, 25 and 26 of February.

This means SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge will be open from 6pm tonight (14 February) until work gets back underway at 10am on 24 February.

All other details in the traffic bulletin below remain the same.

13 February update: The closure of State Highway 2 (SH2) through the Waioweka Gorge will be extended as additional days are required next week to complete the maintenance work.

Work is well underway repairing SH2 and laying a new asphalt, providing a good quality surface, improving resilience and safety through the area.  

The work is taking longer than anticipated and to achieve the quality finish required, the contractor will be using the contingency days next week to complete the work.  

This means, SH2 Waioweka Gorge will be closed Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 February, between 10am and 6pm (with soft closure times being 9.40am and 5.40pm). If works cannot be carried out due to weather, the road will be open. 

Please note, with the predicted weather looking unfavourable, Wednesday 19 February may also be needed. 

People are encouraged to check the NZTA Journey Planner(external link) on the day of travel for up-to-date information about the closures.  

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.  

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) has 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. 

The SH2 Waioweka Gorge 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.