A vital transport link in Hawke's Bay is set to reconnect cyclone-ravaged communities.
Three months on from the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier will be reopened to traffic on Sunday morning.
A blessing was held on Saturday to mark the completion of the Bailey bridge at Waikare Gorge with representatives from Ngāti Pāhauwera and Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust.
At the emotional opening, Wairoa Deputy Mayor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare pleaded with Waka Kotahi and the forestry sector.
"We need a State Highway that is resilient. Water does not collapse bridges, forestry does. Our plea to the forestry sector is 'do not let this happen again'," Eaglesome-Karekare said.
The bridge over the Waikari River was obliterated during Cyclone Gabrielle, causing floodwaters to sweep through the small Hawke's Bay town.
Months on and cutoff communities such as those in Tutira and Putorino, where supplies could only be brought in by helicopter, will finally be reconnected.
The Waikare Bailey bridge replaces the existing bridge that was washed away in February and is one of 11 Bailey bridges the Government has committed to building in its plan to reconnect cyclone-affected communities, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan said in a statement.
"This road is a lifeline for the communities who live alongside State Highway 2 and restoring those connections has been a key priority for the Government following the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle," Allan said.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused damage to almost 100 sites on the stretch of highway, including burying Devil's Elbow in under two metres of silt, destroying the bridge over Waikare Gorge and cutting off the communities of north and south of Waikare Gorge.
"It's been a bloody tough few months for these communities and we've been focused on restoring that access as quickly and as safely as we can to ensure local communities, whanau, freight, farmers, businesses, and tourism can be reconnected as soon as possible," Allan said.
Waka Kotahi NZTA said the work to restore access along the cyclone-damaged stretch of highway has progressed "faster than anticipated", with favourable weather helping accelerate the construction of the Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge.
"The road will look very different to the way it did before the cyclone and we're still finalising what traffic management and restrictions may be in place to help keep everyone safe and allow our crews to continue repairs to the road," Waka Kotahi's regional manager of maintenance and operations Jaclyn Hankin said in a statement.
Allan acknowledged the hard work and patience of everyone involved in getting the road back up and running, particularly local roading crews.
"We know the closure has been incredibly frustrating and has had a significant impact for many people," Allan said.
The section between Aropaonui Road through to just north of Waikare Gorge will initially be closed at night (open daily between 7am and 6pm), while roading crews will continue working on further repairs to SH2 in the weeks and months to come.
