A section of Lake Ferry Road is currently closed because the road approaching Turanganui Bridge has been damaged. The bridge is located between Warrens Road and the junction with Cape Palliser Road.

The bridge is only one lane and is the main access route to Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser. This means those communities cannot currently be reached by road.

After taking a closer look, we now know that fixing the road will take longer than first expected.

The Turanganui River has overflowed near Te Rata Road and changed direction. It is now flowing alongside the bridge and has washed away part of the road near the bridge support.

Greater Wellington Regional Council is working to move the river back to its original path. This must be done before we can repair the damaged road.

Our roading team is working with contractors and local businesses to gather materials and equipment so repairs can begin as soon as it is safe.

We hope the river can be redirected today, which would allow road repairs to begin tomorrow. We expect to have a clearer update tomorrow on when repairs will be completed and when the road may reopen.

Please stay away from the area. It is not safe for the public, and this will allow contractors to focus on the work.

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) welfare team is continuing to liaise directly with community contacts to check what support they need.

If people need assistance, please contact Call 0800 239 247 (0800 CD WAIRARAPA).

The text in this item has been updated since it was originally published at 8am Tuesday 17 February. It was initially stated that the road was expected to reopen Tuesday 17 February afternoon.

UPDATE at 1.10pm, Wednesday 18 February 2026

The Turanganui Bridge was inspected by an engineer this morning.

Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) was unable to redirect the Turanganui River yesterday due to unsafe water levels and flow. Work on redirecting the river began on site this morning.

SWDC roading contractors have started the road repairs near the bridge.

We ask the public to stay clear of the Turanganui Bridge area so contractors can work safely and efficiently.

We will have a better idea later today of when the road could reopen. We will update the community as soon as possible.

UPDATE at 5.41pm Wednesday 18 February

The section of Lake Ferry Road by Turanganui Bridge has been reinstated and is now open. Thank you to the crews who have worked so hard to get this work done.

Please drive to the conditions as there are some uneven surfaces and a speed limit of 30km/hr is in place.