Cyclone Gabrielle: Reopening Napier-Taupō Road ‘sooner rather than later’ a priority

Many roads remain shut because of Cyclone Gabrielle’s damage, and reopened routes in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne are not yet back to normal.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency emergency response spokesperson Mark Owen​ said slips and trees could continue to come down even in dry conditions, because of the saturated ground.

“A lot of the roads are in fairly tenuous states. There will be one lane sections and speed restrictions. A lot of work is required to get them back to normal.”

All of the state highways are “lifelines” for their communities, but reopening the Napier-Taupō Rd, State Highway 5, was a priority. “We’re really focused on reopening that sooner rather than later,” Owen said.

READ MORE:
* Cyclone Gabrielle: State highways left unrecognisable in the wake of the floods
* Cyclone Gabrielle: What you need to know in your region
* Floodwater and debris take out bridges across Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti

Without the road, there was a lot of pressure on State Highway 2 and SH50 as the only freight routes into Hawke’s Bay.

Owen said there could be an update on the Napier-Taupō Rd, indicating when it might reopen, later this week.

At the other end of the spectrum are SH35 and the Napier-Wairoa route, which will be two of the “most challenging” to reopen.

The section of the highway through the Mangahauini Gorge, just north of Tokomaru Bay, has literally turned into a river.

The cyclone debris formed a dam containing around 400,000 cubic metres of silt, trees, and water. The Mangahauini River diverted around the dam and onto the state highway.

A video from Tairāwhiti Civil Defence shows the river flowing over what remains of the washed-out highway.

Concerns about the threat to homes if it was to break led Tairāwhiti Civil Defence to evacuate 64 homes in Tolaga Bay on Friday. The dam held up through the rain, so the evacuated people were allowed to return on Sunday.

Waka Kotahi crews were on the ground in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, assessing the damage and repairing where possible, but the double-whammy of Cyclone Hale followed by Cyclone Gabrielle was making the clean-up “pretty challenging”.

They were dealing with working in “already soggy ground” and knowing that more rain could change everything.

Temporary Bailey bridges would be brought in where they were needed, but places where bridges were washed away, the challenges were often bigger than simply replacing a bridge.

No precise timelines were available on state highways reopening, but Waka Kotahi was planning to give “early indications” once assessments were complete.

Owen asked anyone driving in affected areas to be careful especially if rain was forecast. “There will be delays. Be patient. Make a contingency plan for if your route is blocked,” he said.

He also asked people to listen to the advice of road workers – Waka Kotahi was “disappointed” to hear of incidents where workers were abused. “If a road’s closed, it’s closed for a reason. That’s usually because it’s too dangerous for the public to use.”

State highway closures in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne (at 3.30pm, February 27, 2023)

SH2: Ōpōtiki to Gisborne is fully open but extra care is needed. The road briefly closed because of slips over the weekend.

SH35: Hicks Bay to Te Puia Springs is open but care is needed. Slips, trees, and debris remain.

SH35: Te Puia Springs to Tolaga Bay is closed. At the north end is the dam causing the Mangahauini River to flow over the road. At the south end of the closure, the Hikuwai Bridge is washed away.

SH35: Gisborne to Tolaga Bay is open. Drivers should take extra care as slips, trees, and debris remain.

SH38: Lake Waikaremoana to Wairoa is closed.

SH2: Wairoa to Gisborne is open with speed restrictions and traffic management.

SH5: Napier to Taupō is closed.

SH2: Napier to Wairoa is closed.

SH51: Napier to Hastings has one lane open at the Clive Bridge. There are significant delays at peak times.

SH50: Hastings to Takapau is now open with speed restrictions. Take care.