State Highway 2 Waioweka Gorge is a vital road running through the rugged landscapes of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, an important link between the East Coast and the rest of New Zealand for the public and freight.

Over the past few weeks and into next week the road is having a makeover.

Dedicated crews are resurfacing and doing other general maintenance to keep the road safe and reliable.

To get this work done as fast as possible, and because of its narrow width, SH2 through the gorge is closed during the day.

This is to ensure the safety of people driving through and crew on the ground.

To complete the makeover, the gorge will be closed for three more days next week, between 10am and 6pm, next Monday to Wednesday.

Crews will then move to SH2 Waimana Gorge the following week, which will be closed between 10am and 6pm each day from Monday March 3 to Friday March 7.

A detour for light vehicles and trucks below HPMV status via White Pine Bush Rd, Taneatua Rd, Valley Rd, right to Ōhope Rd to Pohutukawa Ave through to Wainui Rd then left to SH2 will add about 12 minutes to your journey.

The detour is not suitable for HPMV vehicles.

On other parts of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty networks, the busy schedule continues with crews making great progress on what is a bumper maintenance season.

This work forms part of the Government’s $2.07 billion investment into road and drainage renewal and maintenance between 2024 and 2027 via the State Highway Pothole Prevention fund.

To plan ahead and see where disruptive works are, people can use the NZTA Journey Planner (journeys.nzta.govt.nz). This is kept up to date in real time so you can see all disruptive activity and potential hazards on the state highway network.

Bay of Plenty

Tauranga

• SH2/Elizabeth St, Tauranga: Work starts on Friday February 21 on the northbound slip lane at the SH2/Elizabeth St roundabout, with a super weekend of work. Crews will be on-site 24/7 from 6pm on Friday February 21 through to 6am on Monday February 24 working on the northbound slip lane at the SH2/Elizabeth St roundabout. While this work is being done this slip lane will be closed, meaning there will be no right turn at the bottom of Elizabeth St towards Mount Maunganui. A detour will be available via Cameron Rd. More information.

• SH2/Fifteenth Ave: Major works to build the connection from Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Road are in progress as part of the Takitimu North Link project. Works involve the building of a 120m-long retaining wall and earthworks. This is well under way and we are preparing to start building the construction of the single-lane bridge connecting SH2/Fifteenth Ave to SH29/Takitimu Drive Toll Rd. Piling will start in March and take about approximately three months and construction of the bridge will take about approximately 12 months. to complete. One lane at SH2/Fifteenth Ave near Edgecumbe Rd is closed while this work is done, which is expected to take takes place, this is likely to remain in place until mid-2026. More information.

• SH29 McLaren Falls Rd: Until Tuesday March 11, temporary traffic management, lane shifts, and closure of the Lower Kaimai passing lane will be in place from Poripori Rd until just after McLaren Falls Rd. This is to enable drainage maintenance work. to take place. There will be a reduced speed limit of 50km/h through the site, and 30km/h at the intersection with McLaren Falls Rd to ensure the safety of the community and our team. Three lanes will be open at the weekends.

• SH29 Tauriko West between Redwood Lane and Cambridge Rd: Project construction is ongoing at multiple sites on SH29, with shoulder closures, reduced speed limits and mobile operations in place. On Saturday February 22, power pole relocation works will take place during the day in the Tauriko Village area. A lane shift, mobile operations and a temporary 30km/h speed limit will be in place in the Tauriko Village area, and 50km/h on SH29 on both approaches. The weather contingency date for these works is Saturday March 1. From Sunday February 23 to Thursday February 27, night works to install stormwater pipes across SH29 will take place, with stop/go and a temporary 30km/h speed in place in both directions on SH29, between Redwood Lane and Belk Rd. The road surface will be temporarily reinstated, and all lanes opened at the end of each shift. From Sunday March 2 to Thursday March 20, Sunday to Thursday nights only, from 8pm to 5am, night works to install stormwater pipes in the shoulder along SH29 between Belk Rd and Ōmanawa Bridge will take place. Stop/go and a temporary 30km/h speed limit will be in place in both directions on SH29. People are advised to expect delays. Motorists and cyclists are urged to drive and ride with extra care and adhere to the reduced speed. More information

• SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge: From Monday 3 March to Thursday 6 March, 6pm to 6am each night, a temporary 50km/h speed limit and lane shifts will be in place. This work is to undertake further geo-tech investigations between the Ōmanawa Bridge and the Ōmanawa Road intersection.

• SH29 Kaimai Range: The Kaimai Range will be closed overnight from Sunday March 2 to Thursday March 6, between 8pm and 4.30am, to allow for road resurfacing and maintenance. The closure points on the western side of the Kaimai Range are at the SH29/SH24 and SH29/SH28 intersections and on the eastern side of the Kaimai Range at the SH29/Cambridge Rd intersection. Detours are available for all vehicles southbound via Rotorua and northbound via SH2 Karangahake Gorge. Emergency services will have access at all times, residents can access their property from the relevant side of the closure.

• SH2 Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Rd (TELTR): The Tauranga City Council-led project continues. A 2km section of SH2, just past the Kaituna River Bridge, continues to be reduced to a single lane in each direction allowing construction of the Pāpāmoa East Interchange to progress. This closure will remain throughout the remain in place for the duration of construction period, with a temporary 70km/h speed limit. in place. More information.

• SH2 TELTR: Construction of the Rangiuru Business Park interchange is now complete, the temporary 70km/h speed limit will be removed within the next week returning the speed limit to 110km/h. More information

• SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Rd: Ongoing works in this area for the Takitimu North Link project include the construction of a flyover bridge and southbound slip lane. A reduced speed limit of 70km/h remains in place while crews are working behind the barriers. Traffic is expected to be diverted on to the flyover bridge and southbound slip lane in late 2025 while works continue. More information.

• SH29 and SH29 Takitimu Drive Toll Rd: From 7pm on Tuesday February 25 to 6am on Friday March 14, crews will be resurfacing parts of SH29 from Cambridge Rd down the hill towards the SH29/SH29A/SH36 roundabout, as well as the start of Takitimu Drive. During weekends crews will start a bit earlier at 6pm. This work also requires a one-night full closure, from 7pm Monday March 3 to 6am Monday March 4. Traffic heading towards Tauranga will be detoured via Cambridge Rd.

Western Bay of Plenty

• SH2 Apata Station Rd to Wainui South Rd: Road construction Works are under way in preparation for the new roundabout. Lane shifts are in place along with speed restrictions and road users should expect minor delays. There will be Intermittent stop/go traffic management in place which may cause longer delays. Follow the temporary signs and directions of the traffic management team and watch for layout changes.

• SH2 Turners Rd rebuild: Following the completion of the newly rebuilt southbound lanes, traffic will be shifted to allow construction of the northbound lanes. To manage this phase safely, the work will be done in stages. Road users should expect some layout changes as it is completed. Speed restrictions are in place.

• SH2 Pahoia Rd to Plummers Point Rd: Service installation and lane shifts are in place along with speed restrictions. There will be Intermittent stop/go traffic management which may cause longer delays. Follow the temporary signs and directions of the traffic management team and watch for layout changes. Expect minor delays.

• SH2 Ōmokoroa Rd: Starting in late February, initial work on the SH2 stage of the new roundabout will begin. Traffic is expected to be moved on to the new roundabout, which is still in construction, from early March. There will be speed restrictions and lane changes on SH2 during the day and stop/go in place overnight to allow our teams to work on the roundabout’s northbound entry. to the new roundabout. This work should take about six to eight around 6 to 8 weeks. During this stage, of works, through traffic travelling through the site will be affected.impacted. Please be prepared for changes in the road layout, be prepared to give way to the right and follow all speed restrictions while this important piece of work is done, and allow extra time in your journeys. More information

• SH2 Minden Rd – Takitimu North Link Stage 1: Shoulder closures and stop/go traffic management are in place as part of the Takitimu North Link project works. Please take direction from staff on the ground and slow down through the work site while works continue.

• SH2 Bethlehem: SH2 city-bound lanes at Bethlehem, between Te Paeroa Roundabout and Moffat Rd Roundabout, will be closed overnight from Sunday March 2 to Tuesday March 4, between 8pm and 6am, for maintenance works on two small patches. There will be A detour will be in place for all vehicles via Te Paeroa Rd, Carmichael Rd and Bethlehem Rd.

Rotorua

• SH30 Te Ngae Rd-Wharenui Rd, Rotorua: Work is under way at the SH30 Te Ngae Rd and Wharenui Rd intersection, with Wharenui Rd closed to through traffic from the intersection until May. Pedestrian/cycle access is retained. Wharenui Rd can be reached via Coulter/Glenfield or Brent/Reeve roads. On SH30 Te Ngae Rd, traffic management including speed restrictions are in place. A temporary pedestrian refuge is in place 250m south of the intersection. more information

• SH5 Rotorua: Those travelling between Rotorua and Tīrau on SH5 will encounter two major road rebuilds and are advised to allow extra time when planning their journeys through this section of highway. The first is a stretch of about an approximate 2km stretch of on SH5 just west of Oturoa Rd Mamaku, with the second just east of Tapapa. Both are expected to take two more 2 further months to complete, during which and will have stop/go traffic management and temporary speed restrictions will be in place. during this time. More information.

• SH30 Rotorua: The New Zealand Motorcross Nationals arewill take place on Saturday February 22 near Horohoro, south of Rotorua, from 6am to 6pm. Motorists should be aware of a reduced speed limit in the areanear the event location to allow vehicles to turn in and out of the accessway.

• SH36 Te Pu: A road rebuild has started on SH36, Te Pu, north of Dudley Rd, and is expected to finish in early April. Works will take place from Monday to Friday between the hours of 7.30am and 5.30pm, with prioritisation for peak morning and evening traffic flows, weather permitting. Expect delays while the work is being done because taking place as there will be stop/go traffic management will be in place with a 30km/h speed limit.

Eastern Bay of Plenty

• SH2 Matatā: From Friday February 28 for four days, from 9am to 4pm, chipsealing will be done between Western Close and Manawahe Rd in Matatā. There will be Stop/go traffic management will be in place plus a temporary speed limit, which will remain in place when the work has finished to ensure the chipseal is embedded into the road surface.

• SH2 Waimana Gorge: From Monday March 3 to Friday March 7, between 10am and 6pm each day, the Waimana Gorge will be closed to allow crews to do road resurfacing. Closing the gorge means the work required can be done safely and efficiently. There will be A detour for light vehicles and trucks below HPMV status via White Pine Bush Rd, Taneatua Rd, Valley Rd, right to Ōhope Rd to Pohutukawa Ave through to Wainui Rd then left to SH2 will add about 12 minutes to your journey. The detour is not suitable for HPMV vehicles.

• SH2 Kutarere: Service relocation works continue next week at the intersection of SH2 and Wainui Rd near Kutarere west of Ōpōtiki. Shoulders will be closed closures will be in place and road users should be aware there may be three-way stop/go traffic management operating at the intersection.during this time.

• SH35 Ōpōtiki: Road resurfacing in Ōpōtiki runs from Wednesday February 26 to Friday February 28, between 8am and 4pm each day, at the SH35 roundabout. This will be closed while the work is taking place. the SH35 Roundabout will be closed. Drivers can detour A detour will be in place via King St and Goring St.

• SH2 Waioweka Gorge: Work to repair SH2 through the gorge is progressing well. Daily full closures resume next week to finish the final site. The gorge is closed on Monday February 24, Tuesday February 25 and Wednesday February 26, between 10am and 6pm (with soft closure times being 9.40am and 5.40pm).

• SH35 Ōpape: Underslip repairs have started and are expected to finish in early April. The work will be done between 7am and 5pm from Monday to Saturday. Stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h will be in place while work is under way. While the site is unattended there will be temporary speed limit of 50km/h in place.

Waikato

• SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru overall programme:

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• SH1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru: The northern section of SH1 from Tūrangi to Rangipō reopens for traffic at noon today. This partial opening will allow people in light vehicles to use SH1 to the SH1/SH46 intersection and access SH46 to connect to SH47. SH46 isn’t HPMV approved – a permit is required. The official detour remains the same, via SH41, SH47, SH4, SH49 and back to SH1 in Waiouru (and vice versa) and adds around 30 – 40 minutes to journeys. The newly rebuilt section will be under traffic management (including a temporary speed limit) for a few days. Once the chip is adequately bedded in, the excess chip will be swept off, road markings completed, and the traffic management removed. The opening of this section is well ahead of time, and the rest of the maintenance work under way on the Desert Rd is progressing well and is expected to be completed mid-March as previously indicated. Access into the remaining work zones continues to be limited, and those authorised to access will face delays getting through the worksites. The work on Mangatoetoenui Bridge is now scheduled to be fully finished on February 28. Department of Conservation (DoC) campsites and walks are closed. There is a new temporary speed limit at the intersection of SH4 and SH47 at National Park, which is the detour while SH1 Desert Rd is closed. The speed is reduced to 50km/h while this road is being used as a detour for SH1. We have also added warning signage, such as “Queues ahead” and “Major intersection ahead”.

SH1 Pūtaruru to Lichfield: SH1 will be closed from 5am on Monday March 3, from SH1/Princes St, Putāruru to Vosper Rd/SH1 Lichfield intersection, for about four weeks for road rebuilding from Domain Rd to Pinedale Rd. There will also be some night closures in early April for the final surfacing of the road rebuilds completed last year between Vospers Rd and Rollett Rd. All northbound and southbound vehicles will be detoured 24/7.

• Northbound: via Vospers Rd, Kells Lane, Lichfield Rd, Golf St, Arapuni St, Princes St

• Southbound via Princes St, Arapuni St, Grey St, Lichfield Rd, Vospers Rd

• Heavy vehicles, northbound and southbound, via SH5 Rotorua

SH1 Ātiamuri to Wairakei: SH1 will be closed from 5am on Monday March 3 for about four to five weeks to rebuild the southern end and finish the safety improvements and road rebuilding closer to Ātiamuri. The closure is from the SH1/SH30 intersection to the SH1/SH5 intersection (Wairakei Roundabout). All north and southbound vehicles will be detoured 24/7. The detour for light vehicles (i.e. all vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence) is via SH30, SH32 and Poihipi Rd to Wairakei Drive and vice versa. This will add 30 minutes to your journey. Heavy vehicles detour – northbound and southbound via SH5 Rotorua, which adds 43 minutes to the journey.

East Waikato

• SH25 Tairua: Repairs to a large underslip at Pumpkin Hill near Sailors Grave Rd, just north of Tairua, are underay. The road is reduced to a single lane as our contractors rebuild the road surface. Temporary traffic lights will be in place 24/7 to manage traffic flows through the site. More information.

• SH25 Hikuai: Work to replace a culvert at Boom Stream Bridge will begin in early March. This will involve shoulder closures and a temporary speed restriction, with occasional lane closures. This work is weather-dependent and expected to take up to six weeks to complete.

• SH25 between Coromandel township and Te Rerenga: Our team will start work in early March to stabilise and remove material from a previous slip site. The road will be reduced to a single lane with stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed restriction in place. This work is weather-dependent and expected to take two to three weeks.

• SH26 Onetai Stream Bridge Replacement: Work is under way to replace the Onetai Stream Bridge, on SH26 between Puriri and Hikutaia. The road is closed to all traffic until early March while the old bridge is demolished and the new bridge deck installed. Northbound traffic will use SH2, Orchard and Bush Rds and SH25. Southbound traffic will use SH25, Hauraki Rd and SH2. There will be access to all businesses along SH26 throughout construction. More Information

• SH25 Thames: The roundabout in Thames will be resurfaced from Sunday February 23 to Wednesday February 26 between 8pm and 6am each night. Stop/go traffic management will be in place with speed restrictions. Motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes.

• SH27 Waharoa: Resealing works on SH27 outside the Matamata Aero Club continue. With stage 1 having been completed, stage 2 is now under way. The road is fully closed, until Saturday March 1. Detours will be clearly signposted and add about 13 minutes to journeys. More information

Central Waikato

• SH5 Mamaku Ranges: A road rebuild is under way, with stop/go traffic management in place between 6am to 6pm. The work will continue through to mid-March and 10-minute delays can be expected.

• SH1/SH5 Taupō: Drivers travelling near the Taupō Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre – under construction at the SH1/SH5 roundabout – need to be aware of changing road layouts and speed restrictions. Contractors are installing in-road weigh-in-motion scales and associated camera technology and signage boards until May. These are being installed on five of the roads heading towards the safety centre, including SH1 and SH5. Temporary lanes and speed restrictions will be in place.

• SH5 North of Wairakei: A road rebuild is under way on SH5 north of Wairakei on weekdays between 6am and 6pm. This work is expected to be finished Friday March 7. Stop/go traffic management is in place with a reduced speed limit 24/7. Delays are to be expected.

West Waikato

• SH3 Normandy Ave, Hamilton: Work will continue on SH3 near Normandy Ave on Sunday February 23 and Monday February 24 between 8pm and 6am each night between Stewart Place and Mahoe St. When the work takes place, SH3 Ōhaupō Rd will be closed to through traffic between Collins Rd and Mahoe St, including Normandy Ave. Light vehicles will be detoured via Collins Rd, Prisk St, Mahoe St and Lorne St to rejoin SH3.

• SH1C Cobham Drive, Hamilton: Five nights of resurfacing will start on Sunday February 23 on Cobham Drive between Lorne St and the local road section of Cobham Drive, from 8pm to 5am each night. Stop/go traffic management will be in place and the local road section of Cobham Drive will be closed at the SH1C intersection.

• SH1/SH29 Piarere intersection: The temporary SH1, Hamilton approach road remains in use while work continues on the permanent configuration, which is planned to open on Tuesday February 25. To enable traffic to be switched on to the new approach, temporary traffic management will be in place, with the roundabout reduced to one lane for the day. Before the switch, line marking will be done under stop/go controls on Monday February 24 from 8pm to 4am. Motorists should expect delays of around 10 minutes during this time. Once the switch is in place the Hamilton-bound lane will be shifted to the outside shoulder to allow for completion of the central median and hard landscaping. Night works are also planned for Monday March 3 for work within the roundabout. Temporary traffic management including mobile operations will be in place. NZTA thanks motorists for their patience and asks drivers to stick to temporary speed limits and take extra care when travelling through the area while people adjust to the layout. More information.

• SH3 Carroll St, Te Kūiti: From the end of this week council contractors will be replacing a large watermain between Carroll St and Duke St in Te Kūiti, which is estimated to take around five weeks. Once done a road rebuild will start and that is due to be completed in May. During work there will be a single-lane closure on Carroll St with northbound traffic detoured via Taupiri St for light vehicles and Te Kumi Station Rd, Esplanade and Te Kūiti Rd for trucks and heavy vehicles.

• SH30 Carroll St and Rora St: On Sunday February 23 there will be a full closure between Carroll St and Rora St between 6pm and 6am for line marking. A detour will be in place for light vehicles via Rora St , heavy vehicles can use Lawerence St, Te Kūiti Rd, Anzac St, Jennings St, Esplanade, Tammadge St and Summerville Rd.

• SH3 Rukuhia: Starting on Monday February 24 and taking four weeks to complete on SH3 between Rukuhia Rd and Narrows Rd is a road rebuild. The work will take place between 7am and 5pm each day. It will be completed one lane at a time, with the lane not being worked on open to northbound traffic at all times. A 24/7 southbound detour will be in place for light vehicles via Raynes Rd, SH21 Airport Rd to rejoin SH3. Rukuhia Rd will remain open at all times but will only be left in and left out. Residents travelling southbound will be required to use the detour route to travel north to access properties. Buses, heavy vehicles, HPMVs and over-dimension vehicles will be stacked and released to align with the bus timetable. More information

• SH3 Ōhaupō township: A road rebuild is under way on SH3, Ōhaupō Rd in the Ōhaupō township. This is expected to be complete this weekend. While the work is taking place, northbound light vehicles will be detoured 24/7 via Ryburn Rd and Forkert Rd, which will add about eight minutes to the journey. Heavy vehicles including buses, overweight and over-dimension vehicles will be stacked and allowed through the worksite with delays of up to 30 minutes. The southbound lane will remain open to all traffic. More information

• SH30 Bennydale: A second road rebuild site near Kiwi Place is under way, expecting to be complete by late February. Enabling works will be done first between 7am and 7pm each day with stop/go traffic management in place. Once the site has been prepared the road rebuild will start, with stop/go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h. Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected.

North Waikato

• SH2 Homestead Rd to Rawiri Rd: Stop/go traffic management will be in place on Sunday February 23 to Thursday February 27 between 9pm and 5am for maintenance. Please slow down and follow traffic management instructions.

• SH2 Okaeria Rd to Steen Rd: Stop/go traffic management will be in place from Sunday February 23 to Wednesday February 26 between 9pm and 5am for maintenance. Please slow down and follow traffic management instructions.

Tairāwhiti Gisborne/Hawke’s Bay

• SH5 Napier to Taupō: Recovery alliance Transport Rebuild East Coast (Trec) continues to progress safety improvements, as well as repair, recovery and maintenance activities at multiple sites on SH5 between Eskdale and Waipunga. More information

Taranaki

• SH3 Tongaporutu: A road rebuild has begun between Pilot Rd and Rapanui Rd, taking one month to complete from Monday to Saturday, between 7am and 7pm each day, with a finish date of Friday March 7. While the work is being done, stop/go traffic management will be in place with a 30km/h speed limit. Delays of up to 10 minutes can be expected.

The above information is accurate at the time of release. Many of the above works are dependent on several factors, particularly weather, and may be postponed at short notice. For up-to-date information on road works, traffic, detours and delays, motorists are encouraged to visit the NZTA Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz). NZTA thanks motorists for their patience while we complete this essential work to keep the state highway network safe, accessible and resilient.