Road crews will be preparing a temporary asphalt surface for the section of State Highway 2 Matatā to Edgecumbe damaged by last week’s weather events.

The temporary surface will allow the road to get back to 100km/h and back to two lanes, while a new box culvert is constructed offsite for installation in six to eight weeks time, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said today.

Until Friday evening, there will be temporary traffic management, including stop-start traffic control, in place to allow work to get underway.

It is expected that the road will be back to 100km/h, and two lanes, late on January 30, weather dependant.

The agency said road and rail crews had worked to repair the state highway and rail corridors quickly, while allowing road users to travel through the site safely.

“The new custom-made culvert will provide greater resilience for this section of SH2 and will minimise the possibility of disruptive flooding in the future. ”