In the rural Hawkes Bay community of Puketapu, locals say the loss of a bridge ripped away by floodwaters during Cyclone Gabrielle has torn the community apart.
They say it's not only causing headaches with long detours, but people's mental health is suffering without easy access to friends and neighbours.
And the council says it'll be 18 months before the Puketapu bridge is rebuilt.
Our reporter Lauren Crimp spoke to locals desperate for a solution.