Main State Highway 2 into Wairarapa closed due to flood damaged bridge
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
The Remutaka Hill Rd, a critical road link between Wellington and Wairarapa, will be closed for more than 24 hours as a temporary fix is applied to a flood-damaged bridge.
The bridge, on the Featherston side, was closed on Tuesday morning with flood and scour damage.
Wellington Alliance manager Roxanne Hilliard said undercutting of the road had made it unsafe for vehicles, and it would remain closed to all traffic until a temporary fix was in place.
Every effort was being made to reopen the route as quickly as possible, with double crews on site and heavy equipment in use, she said.
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Mark Owen of New Zealand Transport Agency said the damage was not to the bridge itself, but to the abutment supporting it.
He said high river flows had caused the river to divert and scour out material behind the structure.
“It’s basically natural erosion because of the volume of water,” he said.
Owen acknowledged SH2 over Remutaka Hill was a lifeline between Wairarapa, Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
“That’s why our crews will work really hard to repair it as fast as we can.”
He said crews were working to divert water and rebuild the damaged section so at least one lane could potentially reopen.
The hill would be closed overnight on Tuesday and reassessed the following day, he said.
“Geotechnical engineers will make an assessment to make sure that it’s structurally sound,” he said.
He said the wider network had largely held up despite the severe weather.
“This is just one of those one-off things where we’ve had the volume of water come and cause problems.”
Pāhāutea motorist Jim Hedley said he was disappointed he couldn’t get over the hill to collect brewers grain.
“I am just going to have to wait until it’s open, I can’t do anything about it,” he said.
“Let’s face it, it’s a state highway — they’ve got to get it open.”
C’est Cheese Artisan Cheese & Deli owner Paul Broughton of Featherston said since the closure he had no customers that morning.
“Majority of our customers come from Wellington, so when the hill’s closed, it means the majority of our customers don’t turn up,” he said.
“This time of year, we’ll still get tour groups coming through, two or three groups at least a day, but they won’t be coming through today.”
He said on Monday, due to the red weather warning, people were told not to travel.
“Combine that with the cost of fuel — a perfect storm.”
Karen Coltman of The Katipo Op-Shop in Featherston said the weather had been cold for two days, deterring people from coming out.
But on the bright side, people travelling from Masterton to Wellington had been stuck and instead came into the shop, she said.
“I’ve served a few coffees and made a couple of toasted sandwiches,” she said.
Coltman also said infrastructure upgrades had improved the resilience of the hill, describing the work over the past few years as “fantastic”.
Permanent repairs would be needed to the bridge and it was expected to continue to affect traffic in the next few weeks.
The closure of the road means only trains were available to commuters, with drivers being asked to delay their travel and avoid the area.
“Those who must travel between Wellington and Wairarapa should detour via State Highway 3 Te Ahu a Turanga. This is a significantly longer route and requires extra travel time.”
Much of the Wellington region is still under a state of emergency but the state of emergencies have been lifted on Tuesday for Upper Hutt, Porirua and Kāpiti Coast.
Wellington Civil Defence Emergency Management Group joint committee chairperson Anita Baker, also Porirua mayor, said there were no further evacuations overnight but the concern on Tuesday was landslides.
Police have had no updates on a Karori man who went missing at the height of the storm on Monday.
Philip Sutton, in his 60s, went missing around South Karori Rd in Wellington. His property was affected by debris and flood water, police said.
“We have cleared his residence, but the weather has hampered aspects of the search and made searching some flooded areas too dangerous,” Wellington District Prevention Manager Inspector Fleur de Bes said.
The search for the missing man will recommence on Wednesday.
Around the region roads are still closed and Metlink warned that trains could be replaced by buses but for people to check ahead and not to travel if possible.
Harbour ferry crossings have been cancelled. Wellington Airport is open and flights are landing and departing, but the wind is still strong and an airport spokesman warned there could be flow-on disruptions from yesterday.
One of the lanes around the Basin Reserve remains closed due to flood damage.
Council building inspectors were out looking at properties on Tuesday and decisions of whether homes needed to be declared dangerous, and red or yellow stickered would be done on a case-by-case basis.
Anyone evacuated from their homes in Wellington can be accommodated at Wellington City Mission's Whakamaru facility on Oxford St, off Adelaide Road, Mt Cook.
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said about 25 people stayed overnight in the Whakamaru centre, where Wellington City Council staff supported them. Some more stayed in the Whakamaru apartments.
Edridge said one of his own staff members, with two young children, had to leave from their Berhampore home on Monday when water above waist level flooded their home in 'a matter of minutes'.
“It is just such a traumatic event,” he said. “They are probably one of the lucky ones - they will get on with their lives.”
A heavy rain warning was still in effect until 6pm Tuesday for most of the Wellington region and up to midnight in Wairarapa.
Red warnings have now been downgraded to orange across Wellington and the Wairarapa.