Cyclone Gabrielle: CHB road damage ‘cannot be understated’

As of this morning, 18 roads remain closed across the Central Hawke’s Bay district, with roughly 28 sites identified as requiring significant repair work following Cyclone Gabrielle, says the district council.

“The scale of damage cannot be understated, and we know in some places the work required to reinstate roads, bridges and culverts is going to cause long-term impact for the communities they serve,” the council says.

It says the closures are creating significant disruption to local communities and it has been working hard to restore immediate access in as many places as it can.

“We’ve managed to do this for 72 roads since the peak of the impact which is a great start, especially in the face of ongoing weather issues.”

It has completed initial assessments of all sites requiring more substantial works for access to be restored.

Destroyed farm buildings and Pourerere Rd caused by the Waipawa River reverting to its original course. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“Our focus is now on carrying out the engineering and design work required to determine the best course of action for each site and prioritise the resulting programmes of work accordingly.

“We know the closures of some key routes such as Pourerere Rd are having significant impacts on travel times, especially for surrounding residents. You can rest assured in instances like these we are working hard to safely put in place temporary solutions.

“Looking at the bigger picture, there is no hiding, we have a big job ahead of us – but we have a plan and a large team of experts on board to ensure we are working towards a roading network our communities can rely on once again.”

The council says repairing the existing damage is one part of the puzzle but ensuring a roading network that is safe and reliable well into the future is going to require a forward-thinking and targeted approach.