NZTA said night closures and daytime stop/go traffic management will be in place through out June as crews install a rockfall net at the Goldsmith slip site.
Night closures will begin next weekend on the Waioweka Gorge as NZTA begin critical work to stabilise the Goldsmith Slip.
A large crane will carry out drilling and installation work for a rock fall net throughout night closures and traffic management.
On Saturday June 6th, the gorge will be closed from 9pm to 5am, with one-hour window from 1am to 2am to allow freight through.
From Sunday June 21st until Thursday June 25th, the same closure periods will apply.
NZTA said from early July, installation of the steel net will begin under the current stop/go traffic management in place at the Goldsmith Slip.
" Once it's installed two-way traffic will be able to resume at the slip site, and the Gorge should require fewer proactive closures than it has since January.
"This will improve safety and reduce disruption for all road users."
Other recovery work will continue throughout the Gorge under stop/go traffic management.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced $75 million in resilience funding for the gorge in Budget 2026.
This is part of a wider $400 million for state highway resilience projects nationwide.
East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick says the investment will help keep a critical transport lifeline open more often.
Kirkpatrick said the gorge route was vital for freight, primary industries and communities across Tairāwhiti and the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
“Anyone who lives on the East Coast or in the Eastern BOP knows how important SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge is. When it closes, the impacts are felt right across our region,” she said.
“SH2 through the Waioweka Gorge carries around 1700 vehicles every day, with more than one in five of those being freight trucks moving goods to and from the region.”
The upgrades are expected to include slope stabilisation, rockfall protection, drainage improvements and targeted works at vulnerable sections between Ōpōtiki and Matawai.
Kirkpatrick said the investment would focus on improving the road’s reliability during severe weather events.
“Essentially, the work and the funds will go towards work that will ensure the road will be able to stay open more often,” she said.
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