SH25 Thames Coast recovery update – 26 June 2018

SH25 rebuild wraps up 

After six months and around 70,000 hours of work the project to rebuild and strengthen SH25 after a storm in early January is almost complete.

Crews from the NZ Transport Agency's contractor, Higgins, will be gone from SH25 by the end of this week, returning during the summer to put a final coat of seal on some sections.

Since January almost 7km of new rock protection walls have been added to the Thames Coast road, with about 110,000 tonnes of boulders used. Around 40,000 square metres of road has been rebuilt with 41 culverts repaired and four new ones added. 

The Transport Agency and Higgins would like to thank the Thames-Coromandel community for their patience during the rebuild.

"By far the majority of drivers on this road have been considerate and courteous despite the delays caused by having multiple work sites," says Transport Agency Systems Manager Waikato Karen Boyt.

"We're grateful for the patience of the community and we're delighted to have been able to rebuild SH25 to better withstand storms in the future."   

The key traffic and travel source which provides up-to-date information on weather and road conditions nationwide is www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic.

Drivers can also call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) to speak to the call centre team who can provide them with traffic and travel information.

Celebration to mark SH25 rebuild

On 19 June Thames-Coromandel District Council along with the local community hosted a celebration to thank the NZ Transport Agency and the staff of Higgins and their sub-contractors for their work in the rebuild of SH25.

The highlight was a cake representing the rebuilt highway, with Transport Agency Director Regional Relationships Central North Island Parekawhia McLean (left) and Thames-Coromandel Mayor Sandra Goudie cutting the first slice.

Planning for reslience on SH25/SH25A

We are continuing to finalise design, obtain consent and prepare tender documents on six projects that will help make the road more resilient to the effects of storms and heavy rain. These are:

• SH25A Kopu-Hikuai retaining wall
• Boundary Creek, rock wall to protect against erosion
• Kereta Hill, retaining wall
• Kereta Coast, rock wall to protect against erosion 
• Kuaotunu Hill, retaining walls at two sites
• Matarangi, rock protection wall 

We're also taking the opportunity to improve safety in addition to resilience at some of these locations. This means that these projects are likely to be completed later this year, rather than mid-year as first expected.

More information

For more information on the SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel project, contact us coromandel@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/thames-coromandel