A section of State Highway 2 affected by an underslip between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki, will be closed for two hours on Thursday.

Waka Kotahi NZTA are advising that SH2 will be closed between 10am and 12 noon on Thursday July 28.

The underslip, which is approximately seven kilometres from Matawai on the southern approach to the Motu Bridge, has reduced SH2 to a single lane, as a result of recent rain.

The road is currently open to all vehicles, except over-dimensional loads, however a culvert has been exposed and needs to be replaced.

"SH2 will be closed for two hours on Thursday so this necessary work can be completed," says a Waka Kotahi NZTA spokesperson.

"We understand the impact the closure will have to people using the road and work to replace the culvert will be completed as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate this will cause some disruption and thank you in advance for your patience.

"We encourage everyone to take extra care when driving, watch for hazards, adjust their speed and check our Journey Planner map before heading off so they know which routes are affected by recent bad weather."

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:

• Traffic updates: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic

• Facebook: facebook.com/NZTAWaikatoBoP
• Twitter: twitter.com/WakaKotahiWaiBP
• Journey planner: journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Phone: 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49)