The Connecting Tairāwhiti – Passing Opportunities project aims to provide more safe places to pass slow vehicles and more places to pull off the road safely to check messages or take a break on State Highways 2 and 35 across the Tairāwhiti and Northen Hawke’s Bay regions.
We know that the highways in and out of Tairāwhiti are long and winding, and travel through some unforgiving terrain.
Communities and stakeholders have told us about the increasing numbers of slow trucks causing frustration and unsafe behaviour, and the lack of phone reception and safe places to pull over for long stretches. We heard that more passing opportunities and safe places to pull over would help improve the driver experience.
We have worked with the community to identify and prioritise the best locations to add more safe and effective passing opportunities on State Highways 2 (SH2) and 35 (SH35).
As part of the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme, $32.65 million of Provincial Growth Fund investment and $2.83m of National Land Transport Programme funding has been allocated to a package of passing opportunities on State Highway 2 and State Highway 35.
Passing opportunities within the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme include slow vehicle lanes and pull over sites.
A slow vehicle lane is a widened stretch of road on an uphill incline that allows slow, heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, to pull over as they slow down – allowing faster vehicles to pass.
A pull over site is where vehicles can get off the road to either let others pass or park to check phone messages or stretch their legs.
CloseThe Connecting Tairāwhiti programme’s passing opportunities projects aims to reduce driver frustration and improve safety on SH2 and SH35. Some of the other benefits of the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme, including the resilience project, are:
Other social, economic and environmental benefits include the development of stronger relationships through proactive work with landowners, iwi and hapū groups in both the design and implementation phases of the project, reduced travel times, employment opportunities and native tree planting.
CloseCommunity engagement for the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme business case also showed the need for mobile phone laybys where people can stop and check their messages safely. These stretches of road are often in mobile phone blackspots, and these stopping areas will create a safe way for people to stay connected where there is reception.
CloseAs the Connecting Tairāwhiti programme is delivered , we will be keeping the community informed. We’ll be sending information out primarily by e-newsletters, website and Facebook updates so locals, visitors and businesses know how road improvements will impact their journey.
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The Connecting Tairāwhiti Passing Opportunities project aims to provide more safe places to pass slow vehicles and more places to pull off the road safely to check messages or take a break on State Highways 2 and 35 across the Tairāwhiti and Northern Hawke’s Bay regions.
An 850m slow vehicle bay is being constructed at Busby’s Hill, 1km south of Tokumaru Bay.
Also under construction at the same site is a mobile phone layby, and resilience works.
This site is due for completion late 2024, weather dependent.
A mobile phone layby is being constructed at Busby’s Hill, 1km south of Tokumaru Bay.
Also under construction at the same site is southbound slow vehicle bay, and resilience works.
This site is due for completion late 2024, weather dependent.
CloseWorks on this site were complete in October 2024.
CloseJune 2024 update
This site is now complete.
Great progress has been made. The site has been sealed, and both lanes are open with a 50km/hr temporary speed restriction in place.
This site is planned for completion May 2024.
Works on this site were completed in 2024.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
Waka Kotahi has constructed a new northbound slow vehicle bay at Kotemaori on SH2 to allow slower vehicles to pull over to allow faster vehicles to pass.
In November 2020, a blessing ceremony was carried out by Ngāti Pahuwera representatives and in July 2021 a tree planting and karakia marked the end of the project. This was attended by 16 pupils of Kotemaori School, Ngāti Pahauwera, New Zealand Police, Higgins, WSP and Waka Kotahi representatives.
View the Kotemaori slow vehicle bay tree planting video
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
Waka Kotahi has repurposed a pull off area to create a slow vehicle bay at Matahorua, on SH2 between Tutira and Putorino.
Works were carried out by Russell Roads over December 2020 and January 2021.
CloseWorks on this site are complete.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
CloseWorks on this site are now complete.
CloseWork to extend approximately 170m of the northbound road shoulder at Kopua Hill SH2 is now complete.
CloseConstruction of the 650m slow vehicle bay at Mohaka Rail Viaduct is now complete.
Close
This project is part of the Tairāwhiti roading package, funded by the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)and the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).
The Provincial Development Unit’s Provincial Growth Fund has invested $32 million into fully funding this project.
Provincial Growth Fund(external link)
NLTF: Gisborne/Tairāwhiti regional summary
