SH82 South Canterbury bridge replacements

Project update

10 February 2026

Vegetation clearance at Elephant Hill Stream Bridge before construction begins.

Main works construction begins

We’re excited to let you know that the main works for the project are now underway.

You may have seen us on site recently, installing temporary bridges at both locations so we can keep the highway open during construction. Traffic will move onto the Elephant Hill Stream temporary bridge this week, and then onto the Waihao North River temporary bridge by mid-March.

We'll begin by deconstructing the current Elephant Hill Stream Bridge first, followed by the Waihao North River Bridge. Once these are removed, we’ll move straight onto building the two new bridges.

You can find maps of the minor road diversions that will be in place while construction is underway below.

Please follow the signage while you're travelling through the worksites. A 30 km/h speed limit will be in place.

Waihao North River Bridge temporary diversion

Elephant Hill Stream Bridge temporary diversion

Stronger, safer, and built to last

Replacing the Waihao North River and Elephant Hill Stream bridges will make the highway more resilient, reliable and efficient for road users into the future.

Both of the bridges are over 100 years old and their condition has continued to deteriorate over time. It is more cost-effective to replace them now than to continue to maintain them.

The two ageing bridges will be replaced with modern, concrete structures. They will have no load restrictions, improving productivity for freight.

The single-lane Elephant Hill Stream Bridge will also be upgraded to have two lanes. 

Improving the resilience of the highway will mean fewer delays and more efficient journeys.

More information

For more information on the SH82 South Canterbury bridge replacements, contact us at sh82bridges@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/sh82bridges