A section of State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier has been closed due to significant risks from slips and rockfall.
The highway had already been damaged badly during Cyclone Gabrielle, but access to the north had since been restored between Wairoa and Raupunga.
But access south of Raupunga had remained closed to the public, with limited access for emergency services and residents between Napier and Tūtira up until Thursday.
Now, the highway had to be closed to all traffic between Tangoio and Tūtira after geotechnical surveys found significant risks of slips and rockfall in that section.
Helicopters were expected to spend about two weeks working to dislodge loose soil, boulders and trees that were at risk of falling onto the road, the transport agency said.
A larger part of the highway, going through Wairoa to Napier, was not expected to reopen to the general public for up to three months.
Communities in Wairoa have also been isolated since Cyclone Gabrielle hit, due to damage on the roads as well as closures.
The damage to that section of SH2 had been significant, Hankin said.
Work on SH2 between Tangoio and Tūtira will begin on 11 March, with road closures in place at Aropaoanui Road and Waikoau Hill from 9 March.
