SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel

20 July 2026

A crane pad is being built on the town side of the bridge to assist with the work ahead.

All go on Tairua’s Pepe Stream Bridge replacement

Things are about to get very busy on the Pepe Stream Bridge replacement project in Tairua.

After about 2 months of enabling works, including building the temporary footbridge and relocating services like water, power, sewerage and fibre, the big gear is coming in to demolish the old footbridge starting from next week, followed by piling for the new structure.

With the old footbridge bridge to be demolished, all pedestrian and cycling access has moved over to the other side of the bridge. Please take care with the new layout and road crossing at the Pepe Road end.

Several groups have expressed an interest in repurposing the timber from the old footbridge and our contractors will salvage what they can to accommodate these requests.

A 120-tonne crane arrives later this week, with piling planned to start from Tuesday 28 July. The piling will be done in bursts of 2-4 days at a time, weekdays between 7am and 5pm until early September. This will cause noise and vibration, mostly noticeably for those closest to the site.

None of this work will interfere with traffic flows over the bridge.

The first lane of the new bridge, along with a shared path, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Early next year the old bridge and the temporary footpath will be demolished, making way for the second lane and a footpath to be built by December 2027.

Fulton Hogan project manager Dale McElhinny (right) about to take guests over the temporary pedestrian bridge which opened on 7 July.

Event marks start of full construction

We marked the start of full construction beginning on the Pepe Stream Bridge replacement in Tairua with a small event on Tuesday 7 July at the site office, aka the community hall.

This included a walkover of the old pedestrian bridge and on to the new temporary one.

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson stood in for Transport Minister Chris Bishop, while other speakers were Thames-Coromandel District Council acting Mayor John Grant and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) regional manager Adrian Jones.

NZTA's Director of Regional Relationships Andrew Corkill was MC for the morning and noted the town’s community spirit had been demonstrated in the co-operation to vacate the hall for the duration of the project.

Guests included people from the project’s Community Liaison Group and other Tairua and council representatives, along with project staff and media.

Read the Minister’s media release here

The single-lane Ramarama Stream Bridge on SH25 north of Whiritoa.

Ramarama Bridge replacement out for tender

Construction is expected to start later this year on a 2-lane bridge over the Ramarama Stream just north of Whiritoa.

Funding has been confirmed and the project has gone to tender.
A new 2-lane bridge will be built just to the east of the existing single-lane bridge – allowing the old one to continue taking traffic during construction.

The current bridge was built around 1929 – yes it’s not far off 100 years old!

The project is part of a wider bridge programme to improve safety, efficiency and resilience on the state highway around the peninsula and follows completion of works at the Boundary Creek Bridge on the Thames Coast and the Pepe Stream Bridge replacement now underway at Tairua.

TOP: The Kūaotunu Hill slip site has been sprayed with concrete to protect it from further weather damage. ABOVE: An overhead photo shows there has been extensive work on both sides of the road over recent years.

Slip work wraps up on Kūaotunu Hill

Our contractors have finished their work on the tricky underslip on SH25’s Kūaotunu Hill.

The unstable bank has been strengthened with soil nails – large steel rods drilled deep into the bank – and the area meshed and sprayed with shotcrete (concrete sprayed at high pressure allowing it to stick) to reduce the likelihood of further slips and erosion under the road.

GeoStabilisation NZ led the repairs which required staff abseiling up and down the steep drop-off created when January’s big storm washed away a lot of material.

The site was reduced to single lane during the work. Thanks for everyone’s patience while this work was completed.

An intersection speed zone is proposed at the SH25 and South Highway West/Moewai Road intersection at Whitianga.

Consultation opens on SH25 speed reviews

Consultation is now open on proposals to change speed limits at various locations throughout Waikato and Coromandel Peninsula.

Here’s what we’re consulting on for SH25:

SH25 Te Rerenga (east of Quarry Road to south of the Whangapoua Road intersection):

We’re proposing to lower the speed limit through Te Rerenga from 80km/h to 60km/h. Te Rerenga is a small rural settlement with a school and homes close to the state highway.

Traffic volumes have increased over time and the community has raised concerns about vehicle speeds. The proposed speed limit would better match the surrounding environment and improve safety for people living in and travelling through the area.

SH25 Whenuakite (west of Hot Water Beach Road to east of Hot Water Beach Road):

We’re proposing to lower the speed limit through Whenuakite from 80km/h to 60km/h.

Whenuakite is a rural settlement with a school, early childhood centre, holiday park and homes located alongside the state highway. The proposed speed limit would better reflect the level of roadside activity and help improve safety for everyone using the area.

SH25/South Highway West/Moewai Road Intersection Speed Zone (ISZ), Whitianga: We’re proposing an ISZ at the SH25 and South Highway West/Moewai Road intersection in Whitianga to take the speed limit from 80km/h to 60km/h when the electronic sign is activated by an approaching vehicle.

The proposal responds to ongoing community concerns about safety at this busy intersection, which provides access to the airfield, industrial areas and recreational facilities.

An ISZ would temporarily lower vehicle speeds on SH25 when traffic is entering or leaving the intersection, helping to reduce crash risk while longer-term improvements are considered.

Consultation runs from 16 July to 5pm on 27 August 2026. You’ll find the surveys here, alongside more information on the proposals, including maps and cost-benefit disclosure statements. 

Request other reviews
You’re always welcome to suggest a speed limit change on a state highway. This page of our website allows you to tell us why you think it should be reviewed and have it added to our register for consideration

You can email enquiries to waikato.speed.reviews@nzta.govt.nz

More information about speed management can be found on our website. 

More information

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

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