Tauriko West and Ōmanawa Bridge replacement

Project update

3 July 2025

Tēnā koe and welcome to the project update for the SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge replacement and Tauriko West Road of National Significance projects.

In this edition, you can read about:

• SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge features
• SH29 Ōmanawa Road intersection
• SH29/SH29A Tauriko West route protection

SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge looking from Tauranga towards Hamilton. Artist impression.

SH29 Ōmanawa Bridge replacement

The Ōmanawa Bridge replacement is part of the Tauriko West Road of National Significance (RoNS) project. It involves building a new bridge, realigning State Highway 29 (SH29) near the bridge, and making minor improvements to the SH29/Ōmanawa Road intersection. These changes will improve safety and make the highway more reliable and resilient.

New Ōmanawa Bridge features:

• Approximately 72m long and 14m wide, placed approximately 20m south of the existing bridge.
• Approximately 4m higher than the existing bridge. This, along with the realigned road, reduces the steepness of the hill near the SH29/Ōmanawa Road intersection, improving visibility and safety.
• On the Tauranga side of the bridge, the road will curve more gently enabling the advisory speed limit to increase to 85km/h from the current 65km/h.
• Designed to handle a 1-in-100 year flood. To do this, it will be built higher and further away from the Wairoa Awa (river) and have fewer support piers so more water can flow during floods and there’s less chance of debris getting stuck.
• Will be placed on the alignment that fits the future design for Tauriko West, future-proofing this stretch of SH29.
• Designed for future overweight loads getting to and leaving the Port of Tauranga, supporting future growth and development in the region.

Construction of the new bridge is expected to begin late 2025 and anticipated to take around 2 years to complete.

SH29 looking from Hamilton towards Tauranga. Construction from late 2026. Artist impression.

SH29 Ōmanawa Road intersection

As part of the bridge replacement project, we’re making minor upgrades to the Ōmanawa Road and SH29 intersection. This includes realigning the state highway with the new Ōmanawa Bridge, making turning movements safer and improving visibility. In the future, more extensive upgrades are proposed as part of the new SH29 Tauriko West RoNS project.

As part of the minor intersection upgrades we’re:

• improving visibility over the crest by reducing the slope on the Tauranga side of the intersection.
• widening the SH29 Hamilton-bound shoulder and removing the left-turn slip lane to reduce travel speed and improve visibility at the intersection, and to accommodate the SH29 realignment required for the new bridge.
• laying power lines and relocating fibre cables underground.
• proposing an Intersection Speed Zone which is subject to consultation.
• keeping the SH29 right-turn bay.

How does an Intersection Speed Zone work?

Intersection Speed Zones detect when a vehicle is turning out of a side road and temporarily reduce the legal speed limit on the state highway, from 100km/h to 60km/h at this location. They also do this when a driver is crossing the state highway from a side road.

Intersection Speed Zones are a simple, relatively quick improvement which has proven to be effective both here and overseas.

Intersection Speed Zones are installed at locations that have a high risk of serious crashes involving people turning out of the intersections, crossing the highway or turning right into a side road. By slowing down approaching traffic, Intersection Speed Zones will help prevent these crashes and reduce the risk of someone being killed or seriously injured if a crash does happen.

As part of the minor intersection upgrades we’re improving visibility over the crest by reducing the slope on the Tauranga side of the intersection.

View from Tauranga towards Hamilton. Concept visualisation.

SH29/Ōmanawa Road intersection future upgrades

Further intersection improvements are proposed as part of the wider Tauriko West RoNS project, when we build the new offline SH29. What these could look like will be confirmed in the next stages when we’re refining the design. The upgrades will focus on making turning safer while keeping through traffic flowing. They could include merge lanes, traffic islands and bypass lanes. We’ll keep you updated as the design progresses.

SH29/SH29A Tauriko West route protection

In April, the NZTA Board endorsed the Investment Case for the Tauriko West RoNS, and approved funding for the route protection phase for the project.

During this phase, NZTA is designating and consenting the project, undertaking specimen design, completing geotechnical investigations, relocating utilities and progressing conversations with landowners.

This phase gives landowners and the community certainty of the route and ensures NZTA is best placed to move forward when funding for design and construction becomes available. It also protects the route from being built out in the upcoming development of the area.

The Tauriko West project will be completed in 4 phases:

• Ōmanawa Bridge replacement (SH29) – The replacement of the Ōmanawa Bridge, realignment of the connections on SH29 around the bridge and minor improvements to the Ōmanawa Road Intersection (indicative timeframe: 2023/24 to 2027).
• Route protection for SH29 and SH29A – Designating, consenting and progressing buying property so we’re ready to proceed with the detailed design and construction when funding is made available. This also protects the route from being built out in the upcoming development of the area (indicative timeframe: 2024/25 to 2028/29).
• SH29 offline – Constructing a new 4-lane SH29 from north of Ōmanawa Bridge to connect to Takitimu North Link Interchange including Takitimu Drive Toll Road, and revocation of the existing SH29 (design and construction indicative timeframe, subject to funding 2028/29 – 2034/35).
• Widening existing SH29A – From Takitimu Drive Toll Road to Barkes Corner and a new interchange at Barkes Corner (design and construction indicative timeframe, subject to funding 2031/32 – 2038/39).

Next steps for the project

Tendering for services to undertake the designation, consenting and specimen design for SH29/SH29A Tauriko West is underway. We expect this work to get underway from mid-2025 and to be completed in 2028/29.

More information

Read more and sign up for updates about the project at:

Website - paetukutuku nzta.govt.nz/omanawa and nzta.govt.nz/tauriko-west

Email - īmēra bopprojects@nzta.govt.nz