Hawke’s Bay Expressway improvements

Project introduction

The Hawke’s Bay Expressway project has improved road safety from Bayview to Pakipaki. The improvements formed part of a $36 million programme designed to stop people being injured or killed on this stretch of road.

Roads of National Significance

July 2024

Hawke's Bay Expressway has been identified in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS 2024) as a Road of National Significance.

More information on this project will be available once funding for the Hawke’s Bay Expressway is confirmed through the National Land Transport Programme, due for release in September.

Hawke's Bay Expressway map [PDF 581 KB]

Estimated project cost

$36 million
Project type

Safety improvements
Project status

Completed

Project updates

Overnight closures for maintenance of Hawke’s Bay Expressway

Media release, 26 August 2022

Hawke’s Bay Expressway lane closures from 3-21 May

Media release, 3 June 2021

SH2 Bayview resurfacing works underway from next week - Wed 26 May 2021 update

Media release, 22 April 2021

SH2 safety improvements and maintenance work set to resume

Media release, 28 April 2020

Napier Airport to Bay View sealing work to start Monday

Media release, 20 March 2020

Pakipaki road improvements - final designs

Project posters, 17 January 2020 (PDF)

About the project

The Hawke’s Bay Expressway (SH2 Bay view and SH50A Pakipaki) is vital for the region, and provides an important link to both the Hawke’s Bay Airport and the Port of Napier. Over the last few years we have:

installed flexible safety barriers along the side and the centre of the road. These barriers catch vehicles that leave the lane, grabbing them before they hit something harder like a pole, tree or oncoming car.
widened road shoulders. These will give drivers more room to recover if they lose control.
made more places for safe passing.
installed roundabouts at the intersections of SH2/Watchman Road/Meeanee Quay and SH50/Pakowhai/Links Road.