SH43 Forgotten World Highway

December update

17 December 2024

Tāngarākau Gorge

Sealing of the Tāngarākau Gorge close to complete

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi would like to thank the community and road users for their patience and cooperation while work has been undertaken on SH43 this year. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season. 

Crews have been pushing hard to seal the final 5.7km of road through the gorge ahead of Christmas, but while work has been tracking well, some wet days has meant the work will continue into early next year. 

Since October crews have installed sections of road safety barrier in the gorge to reduce the risk of run off road crashes and have sealed 3.8 km of the road. A further 400 metres will be sealed before works are temporarily halted for the holiday period from midday Friday 20 December 2024 to midday 6 January 2025. During this time  temporary speed limits will be in place on the remaining unsealed section to keep everyone safe.

The remaining 1500 metres of road will be sealed in January 2025 with signage and barrier installed in February, completing the project in full.

Marco School students learn about the series of sculptures that will soon be erected along the Forgotten World Highway

Sculptures to be erected along the Forgotten World Highway early in the new year

A series of sculptures developed by Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hāua and Ngāti Ruanui Iwi are currently in construction and will be erected along the Forgotten World Highway early next year.

The sculptures will enrich the journey for visitors and locals by providing insight into the cultural significance and history of the area. The work is being delivered as part of safety and wayfinding improvements which has seen 1200 metres of roadside barrier installed across 11 sites, 230 safety signs erected, and improvements made to rest and stopping areas along the route.

The sculptures are expected to become a key attraction for people visiting the Forgotten World Highway. They will join existing information boards along the route which depict the pioneering history of the area, adding another dimension to the journey for tourists. The sculptures will be erected in or near stopping areas providing travellers an opportunity to break their journey, while enjoying the stunning scenery and learning more about the history of the area.

The design concept for the sculptures is centred around the explorations of Tamatea-Pōkai-Whenua up the Whanganui River and in areas of East Taranaki. Tamatea- Pōkai-Whenua is a legendary traveller in Māori tradition who came to Aotearoa from Hawaiki. Five sculptures will be erected in key locations along the route, each representing a section of Te Karaerae, the waka belonging to Tamatea-Pōkai-Whenua. The sculptures will be made from water cut corten steel which is long lasting and able to withstand the elements. Each sculpture will stand 3 metres high and will feature imagery and text, which tells the story of the time Tamatea-Pōkai-Whenua spent in that location and the people he met there.

In August, Iwi representatives along with members of the project team visited local schools and held a community drop in session at the Whangamōmona Hotel to share the designs for the sculptures. Thank you to the school communities and everyone who attended the community event.

More information about the scupltures can be found on the NZTA website nzta.govt.nz/fwh

More information

For more information on the SH43 Forgotten World Highway project, contact us at fwh@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/fwh