Of the thirteen bridges across the Hastings District requiring rebuilding, eight are located within the Kaweka Ward. In addition to this, there is also a large culvert (one of six across the district) that requires replacement. There are six temporary bridges in place across the ward with various load and speed restrictions. 

Due to the scale, complexity and cost of the rebuilds and repair, a phased programme of rebuilding is required. Safety improvements and associated recovery work may be required as part of this rebuild and this will be detailed on the relevant pages e.g. recovery work in Puketapu Park and safety improvements through the village are detailed on the Puketapu Bridge page. More detail can be found by clicking on the links below. Further information will be added as it becomes available.

In the interim, it’s very important that the speed and weight limits in place on the temporary structures are observed, so that these can continue connect communities.

Table of bridges and large culverts in the Kaweka Ward requiring rebuild

A further 29 bridges were significantly damaged and require repairs. Work has been done to stabilise all these bridges and regular monitoring is occurring while design and then construction of permanent repairs happens. Work is well underway, with repairs complete on 10 of the bridges as of April 2024 and three are in construction. The locations of these bridges can be seen in the interactive map above along with their status. See below for a selection of bridge photos showing the cyclone damage and progress to date.

KURIPAPANGO BRIDGE

Photo taken 20/02/23

Photo taken 29/01/24

WILLOWFORD CULVERT

Photo taken 20/02/23

Photo taken 29/01/24

PUKEHAMOAMOA

Photo taken 21/02/23

Photo taken 29/02/24

BLACKS

Photo taken 15/03/23

Photo taken 29/01/24

CAMELBACK

Photo taken 19/12/23

Photo taken 21/02/24

CARSWELLS

Photo taken 19/12/23

Photo taken 08/03/24

Cyclone Gabrielle resulted in more than 800 slips. In the months following the cyclone, priority was given to restoring access to isolated communities.  All 590 of the less complex slips have  now been cleared and repairs made. There are a further 224 larger and more complex slips requiring investigation and major construction to repair. Almost half of these (98) are located in the Kaweka Ward.

Due to the scale and complexity of the damage, design and construction of the repairs to the road and associated drainage requires engineering expertise and resource consents. A prioritised programme of works has been developed to repair these, with the emphasis on maintaining access for isolated communities. Work is currently underway on Dartmoor Road and slip repairs are set to commence on Taihape Road in mid-August 2024.

Click here to go to the Taihape Road slip repairs project page

Photos: Waihau Road slip (RP: 14767), 13.5m long, 3m deep. Repaired using bench and fill methodology.

Photo: Tutaekuri River diversion work, 7 March. Following a blessing in January 2024, site establishment has begun on the significant Dartmoor Rd washout between Apley Road and Dartmoor Bridge (RP7999). This work which will be undertaken by Downer, will take approximately eight months to complete under the emergency works programme  

See below examples of some of the slips across the Kaweka Ward.

Crownthorpe Settlement Road (RP: 2806)

Dartmoor Road (RP: 7690)

Flag Range Road (RP: 5489)

Hawkstone Road (RP: 3560)

Hendley Road (RP: 3580)

Potter Road (RP: 2496)

Price-Cockburn Road (RP: 2520)

Puketitiri Road (RP: 4463)

Soldiers Settlement Road (RP: 3015)

Taihape Road (RP: 40275)

Tareha Road (RP: 8580)

Waihau Road (RP: 14766)

Whanawhana Road (RP: 0826)

Willowford Road (RP: 2151)