Stretches of HB Expressway closing for resurfacing; stop/go for tree removal

A reminder that next week, two stretches of State Highway 2 Hawke’s Bay Expressway will be closed overnight for resurfacing.

See previous media release

The work will take place between Monday 3 and Thursday 6 March, 8pm to 5am each night.

During the work, a stretch of road approaching the roundabouts between Prebensen Drive and Taradale Road will be resurfaced first, overnight on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 March. Crews will then move onto the Taradale Road to Meeanee Road section on the nights of Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 March. The road will reopen 5am Friday 7 March.

Signposted detours will be in place during the work - please plan ahead and expect slightly longer journey times.

• During the first closure (Prebensen Drive to Taradale Road), northbound road users will be detoured onto SH51 Taradale Road and then onto SH50 Prebensen Drive before rejoining the expressway. The reverse will apply for southbound motorists.
• During the second closure (Taradale Road to Meeanee Road), northbound road users will be detoured left onto Meeanee Road, right onto Guppy Road, right onto Gloucester Street and into Kennedy Road, before turning left onto Taradale Road and rejoining the expressway. The reverse will apply for southbound motorists.

During the day, the road will be open, with temporary traffic management in place and a temporary lower speed while the new surface settles.

Tree removal

Also next week, stop/stop traffic management (where north and south-bound traffic will be stopped temporarily) will be in place on Monday 3 March from 10AM for a maximum of 15 minutes while a tree is being removed between the Tutaekuri River Bridge and Meeanee Road overbridge.

The exotic tree is being removed as part of the expressway Road of National Significance project vegetation removal plan. We will be closing both lanes to allow for two lengths of the tree for safety.

Vegetation removal will allow future project work to progress, including construction of the new lanes, and approaches to the new additional bridges and overpasses.