Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge will be closing for two nights late September/early October while new bridge deck panels are installed.

The bridge, on State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier, will be closed to all traffic on Monday 30 September and Tuesday 1 October – between 9pm and 5am each night.

The work will be finished by 5am on Wednesday 2 October.

There is no viable detour.

During the overnight closures, Transport Rebuild East Coast crews, on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, will be replacing the existing panels with new ones.

While the bridge remains structurally sound to drive on, the deck needs replacing – this is scheduled maintenance and it’s not uncommon for Bailey bridges to need this maintenance.

“While we appreciate closing the bridge for 2 nights is inconvenient, the new deck will improve traction, and ultimately safety, for all road users. We hope that by closing overnight, we can minimise disruption to daily commuters,” says NZTA Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Rua Pani.

“We want to remind road users to please plan ahead. We thank road users and communities in the area for supporting this work.”

TREC will take advantage of the low traffic volumes during the closure times and undertake other nightworks on SH2 and at Devil’s Elbow.

If weather impacts this work, the contingency date is Wednesday 2 October, 9pm to 5am.