State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier will be reopening to traffic on Sunday morning.

A blessing was held today to mark the completion of the Bailey bridge at Waikare Gorge with representatives from Ngāti Pāhauwera and Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust, with the full route opening to the public at 7am tomorrow.

"Roadworkers and the team at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Hawke's Bay and Gisborne have worked tirelessly to restore the road and take advantage of favurable weather conditions," says a Napier City Council spokesperson.

"A huge thank you to everyone who has put in the hard mahi to make it all happen."

For safety reasons, the road will initially be open from 7am to 6pm, and traffic management will be in place to ensure everyone's safety while workers continue repairs.

"It's crucial to note that the road will look different from what commuters are used to, and it's essential to follow the traffic management in place."

'This road is a lifeline for the communities who live alongside State Highway 2 and restoring those connections has been a key priority for the Government following the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle,” says Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan.

'That's why one of the first things we did following the cyclone was to top up the National Land Transport Programme fund by $250 million for these kinds of works."

The stretch of road between Wairoa and Napier will reopen to the public almost three months to the day since the cyclone first struck the region.

The Waikare Bailey bridge replaces the existing bridge that was washed away in February and is one of 11 Bailey bridges the Government has committed to building in its plan to reconnect cyclone affected communities.

Cyclone Gabrielle caused damage to almost 100 sites on this stretch of highway, including burying Devil's Elbow in under two metres of silt, destroying the bridge over Waikare Gorge and cutting off the communities of north and south of Waikare Gorge.

'It's been a bloody tough few months for these communities and we've been focused on restoring that access as quickly and as safely as we can to ensure local communities, whanau, freight, farmers, businesses, and tourism can be reconnected as soon as possible.

'I'd like to acknowledge the hard work and patience of everyone involved in getting us to this point, in particular the local roading crews who have helped to ensure this road has reopened ahead of schedule. We know the closure has been incredibly frustrating and has had a significant impact for many people,” says Allen.

The section between Aropaonui Road through to just north of Waikare Gorge will initially be closed at night - open daily between 7am and 6pm, while roading crews will continue working on further repairs to SH2 in the weeks and months to come.

"This is fantastic news for everyone who has been eagerly waiting for the road to reopen so we can reconnect with our Wairoa community again," says a Napier City Council spokesperson.