By the Explore Gisborne news desk · Published Thursday 12 November 2026
Traffic on State Highway 35 north of Tolaga Bay moves off the temporary Bailey bridge and onto the new Hikuwai Bridge from the afternoon of Wednesday 18 November, with one lane open at first.
- When
- From Wednesday 18 November, afternoon
- Where
- SH35 Hikuwai River crossing, north of Tolaga Bay
- Lanes
- One lane at first; second lane due to open by Christmas
Both lanes should be open by Christmas. Until then crews will keep working around the bridge on final earthworks, drainage and landscaping, and will remove the single-lane Bailey bridge that has carried traffic over the river since soon after Cyclone Gabrielle. NZTA expects that work to be finished in December.
The cyclone destroyed the original Hikuwai No. 1 bridge, cutting the highway until the temporary bridge went in within months. Locals and heavy vehicle operators have relied on it and a nearby bypass ever since.
Built to cope better with the next big flood
Work on the replacement started late last year, with design changes from the old bridge to make it more resilient to floods, erosion and earthquakes:
- a wider central span
- rounded piers, so debris is less likely to build up against them
- deeper piles and stronger columns
Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) built it with local and regional firms, in partnership with iwi partner Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti and landowners including Pourau Station. It is one of the last state highway projects TREC is delivering in the cyclone recovery.
Project Manager Richard Bayley said in NZTA’s release, “Opening the bridge this month will come as a huge relief to the community and to heavy vehicle operators who have been using the nearby bypass and the Bailey bridge since it was installed.”
If you drive the coast road, expect one-lane running over the new bridge from Wednesday afternoon and crews nearby into December. Details are in NZTA’s release on the Hikuwai Bridge, and our Tolaga Bay town guide covers the area.
- NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi media release: SH35's newest bridge opening this month, released 5 November 2026
Explore Gisborne news desk: news@exploregisborne.co.nz. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we’ll correct it.
Get Gisborne’s news every Thursday
Explore Gisborne Weekly: local stories, weekend picks and what’s on. Free.
Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe any time.