SH25/SH25A Thames-Coromandel

3 April 2025

Recently completed repairs to the massive underslip at Pumpkin Hill near Tairua.

Last push to finish cyclone recovery programme

The Coromandel Recovery Programme is nearing completion, with work expected to begin at the final few sites over the next 3 to 4 months.

A contractor is now confirmed to repair the large underslip on Kūaotunu Hill, the largest and most complex damage site remaining, with work expected to be underway by May.

Work is also expected to be underway by then at 2 sites on SH25A.

On the other side of the peninsula repairs to underslip on Manaia Hill will start once consenting has been completed and a contractor appointed.

The underslip at Kūaotunu Hill has meant the road has been reduced to a single lane and NZTA acknowledges the disruption this will have caused road users. We thank the community for their patience as we have worked to design the necessary repair to stabilise this section of state highway.

Given the nature of the damage, steel piles and ground anchors running beneath the full width of the road will be used.

Our focus has been to find a way to deliver these works in a way that minimises further impacts on road users.

Repairs will take around 6 months to complete. It is expected most of the work will be done while maintaining the single lane of traffic, but there may be times where the road needs to be fully closed.

We will keep the community updated on progress and provide advance warning should any closures be necessary.

What's coming for Coromandel's highways

Our cyclone repairs and summer maintenance activities are nearing completion, but there is still plenty planned to improve Coromandel's state highways.

The map below shows key sites where our teams will be working over the coming months.

SH25 Moana Anu Anu River Bridge closure next week

Deck repairs to the SH25 Moana Anu Anu River Bridge in Whangamatā will be carried out next week. 

The work will begin on Monday 7 April, weather permitting, and includes replacement of deck planks and repairs to a transverse bridge beam.

As some work can only be done when there is no traffic, the bridge will be closed for approximately 24 hours while this work is done. 

The closure is scheduled to begin at 8am on Tuesday 8 April.

During this time a detour will be in place and clearly signposted.

Traffic management with occasional short-term stop/stop closures will be required across the remainder of the week while further work is completed.

Further work to the single lane bridge is being planned by our team and will be carried out during the 2026/27 summer.

Public info day for Pepe Bridge

We plan to have a new 2-lane bridge over Pepe Stream in Tairua in place by late 2027.

To update the public on what’s ahead, and gather feedback, we are holding an information session later this month.

Where: Tairua Community Hall
When: Wednesday 30 April 2025
Call in any time between 3pm and 6pm

NZTA engaged with the community as part of the 2021-22 business case development.

With the project now ramping up after funding was confirmed we are keen to hear what’s important to people who live, work or holiday in the area.

New SH26 bridge fully open

SH26 fully opened to traffic last week, following the successful completion of the Onetai Bridge Replacement project. 

The old bridge, built in 1976, has been replaced with a wider, stronger bridge which will make this key route safer and more resilient.

This is also the first state highway bridge in 50 years to use timber for its deck and bridge beams. For this project we piloted the use of glulam, a laminated timber that provides enhanced durability and resilience.

The new design is 3m wider than the old bridge, giving drivers more lane space and with additional safety features, including a new type of side barrier, making it safer for people driving or cycling.

Summer maintenance season wraps up

Motorists driving through the Hauraki and Coromandel districts should have a smooth journey on the state highways, thanks to the busy 2024/25 summer maintenance programme now wrapping up.

The summer provided perfect warm and dry conditions for the work, which is great news for motorists.

Over the next 3 years, the Waikato region is benefiting from the national funding injection of over $2 billion for pothole prevention and maintenance, with a significant volume of road renewals planned in this region over the next 3 summers.

Worksites completed this summer in the Coromandel and Hauraki districts include road resurfacing and road rebuilds on SH25 at Te Rerenga, and at the Thames roundabout, and on SH2 in Waihī and Paeroa.

A road rebuild involves digging out the existing road surface and replacing it with new layers of asphalt.

There have also been a number of chipseal sites and resurfacing with asphalt on SH25 around the peninsula, including between Waihī and Whangamatā, and at Manaia and Wilson Bay on the Thames Coast.

Everything we do now will help us keep the network safe and accessible over winter.

Road users are reminded to check the NZTA Journey Planner website for the latest road conditions across the state highway network.

More information

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

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