State Highway 2 – Napier to Wairoa

• Hard closures are now in place at Arapawanui (Aropaoanui) Road and Waikoau Hill to allow for the sluicing that will begin on Saturday between Tangoio and Tūtira. NZTA have communicated this to all iwi organisations associated to the area, Tūtira and Putorino community representatives, emergency services and other stakeholders. There are eight sites between Arapawanui Road and Waikoau Hill that need sluicing. This section of road will be closed for two weeks while this sluicing work is done.  NZTA understands the frustrations these communities are experiencing and are doing everything they can to restore access as soon as possible.
• In addition to the sluicing operation on SH2 between Tangoio and Tūtira, NZTA contractors are working across eight damaged sites, including two major dropouts. There are also multiple sites where the soil is unstable and where guardrails have been taken out and shoulders have collapsed.

State Highway 5

• The buttress on the temporary bypass at the Te Pōhue slip site was completed yesterday. NZTA is planning for a freight convoy next week.

Next steps:

State Highway 2

• On SH2 between Tangoio and Tūtira, damaged sites will need to be repaired and/or investigated before NZTA can safely reopen the road. SH2 between Wairoa and Napier is not expected to reopen to the general public for up to three months, however NZTA is exploring every opportunity available to restore access between Tūtira and Tangoio to emergency services and local residents as soon as it is possible to so safely.
• As part of the sluicing work, NZTA expect to remove an excessive amount of loose material from seven sites. The works, including clean-up, and are dependent on weather and quantum of material dislodged during the sluicing.