‘Connecting Tairāwhiti’ is the name of a programme business case that was completed during 2017 and 2018 to identify projects to help improve the economic opportunities for the region, along State Highway 2 (SH2) and State Highway 35 (SH35).
In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle severely impacted progress with many works bought to a stop and put on hold while recovery works through Tairāwhiti took priority.
The programme is back underway as of November 2023.
Connecting Tairāwhiti Programme Business Case [PDF, 14 MB]
Via this business case, a selection of projects was included in the ‘Tairāwhiti Roading package’: a programme of work funded by both the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) and the Provincial Growth Fund.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is delivering the state highway projects and Gisborne District Council is delivering local road projects.
The Waka Kotahi projects include both Passing Opportunities and Resilience Projects to improve the state highway network in Tairāwhiti. These projects address complex geological and resilience issues. Investment through the Tairāwhiti Roading Package will ensure state highways in the region are of a higher standard so ongoing NLTP funding can make a meaningful difference to safety and resilience across the network.
We are making sure each project contributes to broader economic, environmental, social and cultural outcomes for the communities they are being carried out in.
Waka Kotahi has established a panel of large and smaller consulting engineering firms (to complete design work) and contracting companies (to do the construction work) so we can spread the work as widely as possible across the region.
Project partners
