SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel

9 October 2025

New beams for the Boundary Creek Bridge are ready and waiting to be taken to site

SH25 Boundary Creek Bridge works start next week

Work begins on site next week to replace Boundary Creek Bridge on State Highway 25 (SH25) along the Thames Coast.

While the action is just starting at the bridge, there’s already been plenty happening behind the scenes so the work is done in the quickest possible time.

The bridge has been reduced to a single lane since 2023 because of its condition and in the weeks ahead will have a new deck installed and supports strengthened.

The beams that will support the new bridge deck are ready and waiting in Tauranga and new precast concrete deck panels are now being prepped. 

From  Monday 13 October the site will be controlled with traffic lights and a temporary speed limit so traffic can pass through safely. 

The team’s first tasks on site are to prepare an area for the large crane needed for the job and begin repairing and strengthening the bridge supports ahead of installing the new deck.

With the bridge wedged between cliffs and the sea, there’s no room to keep the road open while we remove the old deck and install the new one. This work will happen during a 7-day road closure which begins at 5am on Wednesday 29 October – that's the Wednesday after Labour weekend.

The road will remain open until then and will reopen as soon as the new deck is installed but stay as a single lane until finishing works are completed.

By December the road will be back to 2 lanes making travel smoother for everyone.

During the closure people will still be able to get to where they are going but will need to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey.

Those heading north to Coromandel township and beyond will need to take SH25A (Kōpū -Hikuai road) on to Tairua and Whitianga. Those heading south will reverse that route.

Access will be maintained to all businesses and propoerties on SH25 along the Thames coast from north and south of the bridge. (see map below).

SH25A daytime closures - plan ahead to get through

As the 2 weeks of daytime closures for State Highway 25A (SH25A) grow closer, there’s good news for morning commuters.

Our contractors Higgins have confirmed any traffic on SH25A by 8am each day, will get through the worksites before the daily closures.

Major road rebuilds are needed on the state highway at 2 locations that are steep and narrow, and can't be done safely with traffic running through the worksites.

The closures will run for 2 weeks from 10 November, Monday to Saturday. SH25A will close each day between 8am and 5pm, opening in the evenings under stop-go.

The 8am closure points will be at each end of SH25A, at Kōpū and near Hikuai. Any people on SH25A by 8am will get through, although delays should be expected at the main site which will operate as a single lane with stop/go.

During the closures other maintenance work will also be done along the state highway.

Other key points:

• Access to properties between 8am-5pm is through the closure points – but not through the work sites.
• Emergency service vehicles will be escorted through the works, along with school buses.
• The detour using SH25/SH2/SH26 adds about 1 hour to travel times (see below).

Planned highway closures - disruptive but necessary

Road closures are disruptive, particularly when a long detour is required.

For Coromandel residents, businesses and visitors, a functional state highway network is vital for daily life. That’s why it’s important we prioritise the work ahead to ensure a resilient network that continues to provide those all-important connections.

The upcoming Boundary Creek Bridge and the SH25A rebuild work are a high priority for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

The bridge already has restrictions which impact traffic. Delaying the deck replacement could mean further deterioration requiring additional restrictions.

Likewise, delaying the work on SH25A could see the pavement fail which would force us into reactive repairs at a time that may be far more inconvenient for everyone, and with minimal notice.

We always aim to provide the community with as much notice as possible for work that requires closures so they can plan ahead.

While there’s never a good time to close a Coromandel road, through experience and community feedback we’ve learned that doing work before Christmas is preferred over post-holiday disruptions, with the new year bringing bigger crowds and events leading up to Easter.

The SH25A work will follow the 7-day closure on SH25 at Boundary Creek Bridge on the Thames Coast, which starts after Labour weekend. The 2 closures will not overlap.

Busy summer across the region

While major Coromandel roadworks are ahead, the wider Waikato is also in for a busy works season.

There are at least 10 rebuild sites, along with various resealing and resurfacing jobs planned for the region. This work is in addition to regular summer maintenance, and ensures the network remains safe and reliable.

We are targeting the renewal of approximately 112 lane kilometres across the Waikato, excluding the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru project.

This work is essential to maintain the quality and safety of the state highways and to ensure a smoother and safer journey.

Read more here

More information

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

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