The State Highway 2 (SH2) Waioweka Gorge is a vital road running through the rugged landscapes of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, it stands as an important link between the East Coast and the rest of New Zealand, not only for the public but also for 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 in the quickest time possible, and due to the narrow width of the road, the Gorge is closed during the day. This is to keep both people driving through and crew on the ground safe.
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 the SH2 Waimana Gorge the following week, which will be closed between 10am and 6pm each day from Monday 3 March to Friday 7 March. There will be a detour for light vehicles and trucks below HPMV status via White Pine Bush Road, Taneatua Road, Valley Road, right to Ōhope Road to Pohutukawa Ave through to Wainui Road then left to SH2, this will add approximately 12 minutes to your journey. The detour is not suitable for HPMV vehicles.
To plan ahead and see where disruptive works are, people can use the NZTA Journey Planner. This is kept up to date in real time so you can see all disruptive activity and potential hazards on the state highway network.
Journey Planner(external link)
Waikato Bay of Plenty works as at 21 February 2025 [PDF, 634 KB]
