SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel

16 August 2024

SH25 temporary speeds to change

Temporary speed limits on State Highway 25 (SH25) around the Coromandel Peninsula will be returning to their former level soon.

Temporary speed reductions can only remain in place for a maximum 12 months without being renewed.  In this case the emergency situation has passed, and by early October all the SH25 temporary limits will have expired.

Following the 2023 weather events and closure of State Highway 25A, traffic patterns and volumes changed on the Coromandel Peninsula, leading to concerns about the impact of increased traffic flows through communities. 

In response NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) carried out a road safety review and temporarily lowered the speed to a safer limit around SH25 as an emergency provision.

Now there’s no longer an emergency and SH25A has reopened, the temporary speeds will be removed, and permanent speed limits reinstated.

NZTA is aware there is community support for retaining reduced speeds in some areas, however changing any speed limit is a legal process and there are numerous steps NZTA must follow.

In June/July 2024, the Ministry of Transport held consultation on a new Land Transport Rule for setting speed limits and the new rule is due to be finalised in the coming months. 

Once the new speed Rule has been finalised NZTA will consider how it applies and if any of the temporary SH25 speed limits can, or should be made permanent, to meet community needs.

SH25 recovery programme ramps up after winter

As we head into spring and summer you will see more work ramp up again to repair damage to SH25 following the extreme weather events of 2023. 

Work is currently underway between Opoutere and Hikuai repairing 2 underslips in close proximity to each other. Work will begin in September on Pumpkin Hill near Tairua and north of Wharekaho, with further projects starting in October.

Each of these projects will take around 2 months to complete, weather permitting. Stop/go traffic management and temporary speed restrictions will be in place for the duration of the works 

Drainage improvements between Whitianga and Waihī, the focus of our activity during the wetter winter months, are now complete.

The programme is being delivered with a focus on balancing speed of delivery against disruption to road users, in particular during the busy summer holiday period.