Transport Rebuild East Coast alliance crews begin work next week on State Highway 2 near Otoko Reserve in the Gisborne region to improve drainage in the area.

Work will take place between 6am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and traffic lights will be operating through the site 24/7.

Motorists are being advised to expect delays through the site of between 5 and 10 minutes.

Since Cyclone Gabrielle, crews have focused on work at Otoko Hill to restore access to the damaged state highway and resurface the road.

The focus now turns to stabilising the hill surrounding the road and improving crucial drainage in the area to minimise the potential for flooding in the future.

Work at the site includes installing soil anchors and shotcrete (a type of concrete sprayed onto a surface using a high-pressure hose) to stabilise the hillside as well as reinstating the road shoulder and culvert improvements to improve drainage.

This work is expected to take up to 9 weeks to complete and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advises road users to plan their journey accordingly.

Work on a further eight recovery sites are in the pipeline for Otoko Hill and will be notified as the details are finalised.

NZTA appreciates this work will be disruptive for people driving through Otoko, and thanks all road users for their patience while this work’s carried out.

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nztahbg
• X (formerly Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/nztacni
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)