Work is beginning this month to rebuild a section of State Highway 3 through the Awakino Gorge, with the goal of restoring two-lane access by mid-December.
Road crews have just finished installing four large drainage culverts under the highway to keep the active slip area dry.
Severe weather in April caused widespread damage and a massive slip, reducing the vital route linking North Taranaki, the Waikato, and the King Country to a single lane. Workers have spent months clearing debris and stabilising the site to manage traffic safely.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is now shifting focus to building the road out and away from the main slip site. A new retaining wall will support this realigned section of highway.
Moving the road away from the slip allows the hillside to settle naturally over time.
Andrew Corkill, NZTA Director of Regional Relationships for Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, says the new culverts will keep the area drier, while a rockfall barrier and containment area will protect the highway from future debris.
"Together, these measures will restore 2-lane access through this section of SH3 Awakino Gorge and provide a safer, more reliable connection for the communities, businesses, freight operators, emergency services and other road users who rely on this route," Corkill says.
Construction on the new section begins this month.
The second lane is on track to reopen in mid-December, depending on weather and site conditions, while minor finishing work will continue into next year.
Corkill says the project is complex because of the narrow gorge and active slip, requiring precise scheduling.
"The work includes preparing the site, installing the piles and anchors that will support the retaining wall, building the wall and new section of road, and completing the drainage, pavement, barriers and surfacing," he says.
Stop/go traffic management will remain in place while the new section is built. Access could still change at short notice if ground conditions or site safety require it.
Alongside this work, NZTA is progressing a $50 million Awakino Gorge resilience package announced in Budget 2026.
This Crown-funded programme aims to identify and prioritise improvements like scour protection, slope stabilisation, and drainage upgrades between Ladies Mile and the Awakino Tunnel Bypass.
NZTA plans to stage high-priority resilience works early while finalising the wider programme for the existing state highway corridor.
