In 2023 Cyclone Gabrielle caused significant damage to the state highway network with many connections severed.
TREC’s immediate focus has been on recovery work; opening roads to two lanes and maintaining them so they are safe to travel on. This work is progressing well to deliver results for communities.
This recovery work is funded, and our crews are working hard to make it happen.
In the May 2024 Budget an additional $250M was allocated for recovery work on Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti state highways.
Potential resilience work
TREC has also taken a strategic look at the network to investigate routes and projects and develop options for potential resilience and rebuild projects.
Resilience projects are longer-term fixes that will help protect the transport network and keep communities connected now, and in the future. The changes being looked at would contribute to a national transport network that would be more resilient to the impacts of climate change and other natural hazards.
These projects include: SH2 Devil’s Elbow, SH2 Waikare Gorge, SH2/SH5 Eskdale, SH35 Mangahauini Gorge and SH2 Waioweka/Waioeka Gorge.
This resilience work is subject to NZTA Board approval and Crown funding.
